This article originally appeared in Good Day, Berks — Spotlight PA’s free daily newsletter for Berks County and your daily dose of Berks County essentials. Sign up here.
WYOMISSING — A police officer fired by Wyomissing Borough and identified as only "badge 29" was Rubiel Estevez, who was the subject of a recent $500,000 false arrest settlement, Spotlight PA has learned.
At the time of his termination in July, Borough Council members offered no explanation for the move and refused to identify the name of the officer. It was revealed through a subsequent public records request filed by the news organization.
Failing to provide the public with Estevez's name at the time of his firing was a violation of the state Sunshine Act, according to a transparency expert.
What’s more, borough officials, from manager to police chief, have continued to refuse to explain why Estevez was fired, saying they do not discuss personnel matters.
They also won’t discuss other recent personnel shifts in the police department, including the demotion of a sergeant to a patrol officer and the resignation of Sgt. Richard Karstien, who retired after 29 years.
Wyomissing is the most populous borough and one of the wealthier municipalities in Berks County. Bordering the city of Reading, it has about 11,000 residents, and a fifth of households have an annual income of $200,000 or more.
The police department is run by Chief John Phillips, who was promoted to the role in 2021 after rising through the ranks of the department he joined in 1997. Phillips oversees about 22 full-time officers and a department with a roughly $3.7 million annual budget.
Estevez, who made about $114,000 annually, declined to comment for this story when reached by phone Aug. 4.
Public information shows he previously worked for the Lower Merion Township Police Department. Over the years at the Wyomissing department, Estevez often responded to car crashes and traffic stops, sharing details about incidents with news media. He was also recognized by Berks Lodge #71 Fraternal Order of Police in December last year with a “unit citation” award for helping prevent someone from jumping off a bridge in October 2024.
The award came four months after Wyomissing agreed to pay $499,000 to settle allegations of false arrest made against Estevez, according to an agreement obtained by Spotlight PA through a Right-to-Know request.
On Jan. 9, 2024, Estevez accused a man and woman of duping a skill games machine to get a 7-11 store to pay them $1,000. The charges were dropped the following month.
In July 2024, the couple’s attorney, Richard Wiener, warned Wyomissing leaders of the couple’s plan to sue the borough and Estevez for false arrest and “unlawful search and seizure.” An agreement was reached the following month.
Borough officials confirmed the claim was paid by Wyomissing’s insurance carrier on Aug. 30, 2024.
The right to ‘give meaningful comment’
The legislative bodies of boroughs and second-class townships in Pennsylvania are empowered to hire, fire, demote, and promote all public employees, including police and fire personnel, according to the Civil Service Guide for Pennsylvania Municipalities.
But when Wyomissing Borough Council voted to fire Estevez on July 28, they referred to him only as “badge 29” in documents and at the meeting.
An expert on state transparency laws criticized that omission.
“They should have provided the name when they voted to terminate,” Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, said in an email. (Spotlight PA is a member of the organization.) “Without the name, the public doesn’t understand what’s being voted on, and the public is denied the right to give meaningful comment before the vote takes place.”
Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law does allow agencies to withhold the reason for firing someone.
Berks Lodge #71 Fraternal Order of Police did not respond to requests for comment.
Wyomissing Mayor Fred Levering, reached by phone Aug. 13, said he could not speak on personnel matters.
It was “really a question of judgment,” Levering told Spotlight PA when asked about Estevez’s termination. “Our objective, of course, is to protect the community, and we have to make sure people are mindful of the effect of their actions.”