TRAVERSE CITY -- Traverse City Police Officer, Joseph Soffredine pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of impaired driving. Instead of 5 days in jail, Soffredine will be on probation for six months and will have to take breathalyzer tests. He will also have several days of community service.
Soffredine was charged with drunk driving for an accident on Cedar Run Road in February. Reports show he crashed into a ditch, tried to get the car out and it caught on fire.
Responding Grand Traverse County Deputies didn't give him a breathalyzer test or give him a ticket for expired tags.
Jury selection was set to begin for a trial on the drunk driving charge Tuesday afternoon.
Traverse City Police Chief, Michael Warren, released more information regarding Officer Soffredine after the guilty plea. Chief Warren said the punishment already rendered to Soffredine on February 28th was appropriate and justified and no additional sanctions will be imposed. Soffredine was placed on a four week administrative leave after an internal investigation. He was also voluntarily entered in the City's Employee Assistance Program.
Officer Soffredine has been with the department for 14 years, the first six years as a volunteer reserve officer and the last eight years as a certified police officer. He has had one prior ½ day suspension for being late to work. He has nine departmental commendations and three Michigan Lifesaver Awards.
Chief Warren also states that the punishment to Officer Soffredine was severe in the loss of four weeks of pay along with other internal sanctions that were imposed. The negative impact this incident has had on his reputation and the reputation of our agency will not be easily overcome. Officer Soffredine has taken responsibility for his actions on the night of February 6th and he has taken the correct steps to make sure nothing like this happens again.
The two former Grand Traverse County Deputies involved in the case, Robert Sillers and Mark Noffke, pleaded guilty to a 90 day misdemeanor charge of neglecting or refusing to execute process.
Sillers and Noffke were sentenced Tuesday morning on the charges. The two will not spend any time in jail or on probation. They were given several hundred dollars in fines. Sillers and Noffke were fired from the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office earlier this month.
