Former Philadelphia cop sentenced to 12-months probation over taking confiscated Porsche for stepdaughter’s prom in Jenkintown

A former Philadelphia Police Officer James Coolen, Jr. pleaded guilty to Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle for taking a Porsche Cayenne SUV that was confiscated by the Philadelphia Police Department and using it for his stepdaughter’s prom at Saint Basil Academy in Jenkintown.

“James Coolen betrayed the public trust and his fellow Philadelphia Police officers when he improperly and illegally used a 2018 Porsche Cayenne SUV, that was impounded as evidence in a case that he was assigned to, as transportation for his stepdaughter’s prom,” District Attorney Krasner said. “Former Officer Coolen has since turned himself in, resigned from the Police Department, and taken responsibility for his crime. It is never easy, but it is always right, to hold a friend or colleague accountable when they do wrong. I thank the PPD Internal Affairs Unit and my office’s Special Investigation Unit for their hard work in bringing this case to a just conclusion.”

From a press release from the District Attorney’s Office:

In April 2019, then-Officer Coolen seized a 2018 Porsche Cayenne SUV with a California registration during a narcotics investigation. The Porsche was held as evidence and was placed in the Philadelphia Police Department Narcotics Bureau Headquarters’ secure parking lot. Coolen signed a property receipt storing the vehicle as evidence. Two weeks later, the PPD Internal Affairs Unit received information from the bureau about the possible theft or unauthorized use of the vehicle, and opened an investigation.

After reviewing video surveillance footage of the storage area, investigators discovered that on April 25, 2019, Coolen drove into the secure parking lot with his personal pickup truck, parked near the Porsche, entered into the seized vehicle, and drove it away. Two days later, the Porsche was returned to the secure parking lot and the driver, who is not identified on video because it was dark, drove off the lot in Coolen’s vehicle.

Internal Affairs’ investigation also found doorbell security surveillance video from a neighbor, photographic evidence of the car parked at the home, fingerprints in the vehicle, electronic data from the GPS system, and a statement from a witness.

Coolen resigned from the Philadelphia Police Department before surrendering to authorities on October 3, 2019. He pleaded guilty on Thursday, January 16th and was sentenced to 12 months of probation.