A Delaware Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement officer has been charged with trading cigarette cartons for drugs and money, the state Department of Justice said.

Joseph Dominic, 33, faces five felony counts and one misdemeanor charge following a joint investigation by the state Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement (DATE) and Delaware State Police.

It’s not known how long Dominic has been with DATE, but according to a state website, he was the division’s agent of the year in 2022 when he was a corporal and 2018 when he was a patrolman. A statement by the Justice Department said Dominic is suspended from the force, which enforces Delaware’s state liquor and youth access to tobacco laws.

“Nobody is above the law or beneath justice,” Delaware Attorney General Jennings said in a statement. “Misconduct by public officials is not just wrong by virtue of the crime itself — it also erodes public trust and dishonors the good work of the overwhelming majority of law-abiding public servants.”

Jennings commended DATE and the Delaware State Police for taking action after suspecting wrongdoing.

DATE’s investigation into his actions began in October when his supervising officers became suspicious of his handling of seized cartons of cigarettes and launched an investigation along with the Delaware State Police.

The indictment claims 30 cigarette cartons were issued to Dominic, who was to provide them to other law enforcement agencies. Neither the Department of Justice or DATE explained why these cigarette cartons were being provided to other law enforcement agencies.

Instead of providing the cigarette cartons to other law agencies, investigators said Dominic provided them to a third party for sale. The profits from these sales were shared between Dominic and the third party, whom authorities believe also provided Dominic with illegal drugs.

The Department of Justice did not immediately explain who the third party was or if charges had been filed against them. Investigators said Dominic submitted false information in police reports to conceal his actions.

Dominic faces felony charges of official misconduct, theft, second-degree conspiracy and tampering with public records. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of illegal possession of a controlled substance.  

While the Justice Department did not say exactly when the investigation began, on Oct. 19, Dominic was charged with possession of a controlled substance, according to court records obtained by Delaware Online/The News Journal.

It’s not clear from the single-page document where he was arrested or what prompted the arrest, but documents say he had four 40 mg Percocet pills in his front right “small pocket.” 

Authorities have not said if this arrest is connected with the recent indictment, though other court documents show that in November, the drug arrest was moved to a court date “for consolidation/judicial review purposes.”

The next hearing in that case is set for March, documents show.

Authorities appear to point to the officer having substance abuse issues as DATE Chief John Yeomans explained in a statement how law enforcement is not immune from addiction.

“In this case, our officer succumbed to it, violating laws and failing to uphold the public’s trust,” Yeomans said. “When the officer’s actions were uncovered, we took appropriate steps by initiating a criminal investigation in collaboration with the Delaware Attorney General’s Office. We understand the seriousness of this matter and want to assure the public that we are taking all necessary measures.”

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com. Got a tip? Send to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com or 302-324-2785. For all things breaking news, follow her on X at @izzihughes_

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