Former FBI Task Force Officer Sentenced for Federal Program Bribery, Bribery, Distribution of Heroin, and Making False Statements

On March 11, 2022, a former FBI Safe Streets Task Force Officer previously assigned to the FBI’s Harrisburg resident agency was sentenced to 75 months of imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $9,000 fine for one count of federal program bribery, one count of bribery, one count of distribution of heroin, and six counts of making false statements. Christopher Scott Collare was sentenced in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.  According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from in or about May 2015 through on or about September 11, 2015, and from in or about January 2018 through in or about May 2018, Collare used his official position to obtain sex from two women in exchange for agreeing to take actions in prosecutions that would benefit those women.  Specifically, in 2015, Collare agreed to accept sex or money in exchange for not appearing at an evidentiary hearing so that a criminal charge would be dismissed.  In 2018, Collare agreed to accept sexual favors in exchange for taking steps to help reduce a potential sentence.  In addition to bribery, the jury convicted Collare of distributing heroin in 2016.  He also was convicted of lying in November 2015 on a federal form he completed during the process of becoming an FBI task force officer, and of making multiple false statements when interviewed by federal agents in May 2018.  The investigation was conducted by the OIG’s New Jersey Area Office.