Ex-Butler Fire Inspector May Enter Probation Program

Former Butler Fire Inspector Earl Dean was accepted into the Morris County Court's Pre-trial Intervention (PTI) program, according to NJ.com, and is now awaiting approval from the state Attorney General's Office.

Dean, 64, was indicted on charges filed in March 2011 that he falsified fire inspection reports for several Butler businesses. He was officially indicted on charges of second-degree official misconduct, third-degree tampering with public records and fourth-degree falsifying or tampering with public records.

PTI is typically offered to first-time offenders in lieu of jail time. It involves community service, fines and rehabilitation programs.

During a court appearance in December, Dean's attorney, Al Gellene, rejected a plea bargain that involved PTI on Dean's behalf. But NJ.com reported that Dean requested and was granted acceptance into the PTI program by the Morris County Prosecutor's Office.

Read the full story from NJ.com here.

Dean has been suspended from the Butler Fire Department since his arrest in March 2011. The Kinney Hose Co. sought to elect Dean as their company chief and have him run in the department election in December, but Dean was deemed ineligible.