By CALEB FREY

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – A St. John Parish Sheriff’s deputy will avoid jail time following his August arrest for simple burglary.

Deputy Joseph Moore, 47, of LaPlace, was placed in the St. John Parish District Attorney’s Pre Trial Diversion program in lieu of a jail sentence, according to Chief Investigator Maj. David Lozano.

A surveillance camera captured Moore taking items from a truck parked at the St. John School Board maintenance yard.

While still in uniform, Moore placed the items that included a water cooler and a workman’s tool belt into his marked police unit according to Sheriff Wayne L. Jones. The estimated value of the items was between $100-$300.

The Pre Trial Diversion program is for first time offenders according to Lozano.

&#8220It’s a way for first-time, non-violent offenders to not be convicted,” Lozano said. &#8220We use the program a lot of the time for first-time offenders between ages 17-25 but it’s on a case by case basis.”

Under the program, Moore was placed on six months’ probation and also must pay a $400 fine. Moore also returned all of the stolen property, according to Lozano.

Moore had an exemplary record in both St. John and Jefferson parishes until the time of the incident.

A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Moore worked for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office from June 1993 to July 2004 when he moved to St. John Parish.

Moore surrendered and confessed to St. John detectives, shortly after the incident, according to Maj. Mike Tregre.