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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The case of a Plains Township woman accused of lying about state troopers raping her has taken a strange twist.</p><p>State Police are now fighting a judge&#8217;s order they believe prevents them from clearing one of the troopers.</p><p>Meanwhile, the trooper himself wants the order to remain in effect.</p><p>Christine Cromer, 37, is charged with making false reports after investigators say she falsely accused Trooper Robert Covington of raping her in a State Police cruiser in November 2016 outside the Mohegan Sun Pocono casino.</p><p>Additional charges of unsworn falsification were filed against Cromer last week for allegedly lying while requesting a restraining order against a second trooper, Sgt. Daniel Jones.</p><p>Cromer previously accused both Covington and Jones of raping her in a cruiser outside the casino where she worked.</p><p>But State Police don&#8217;t believe her story for a variety of reasons.</p><p>They say Cromer was unable to accurately describe the inside of the cruiser where the alleged rape took place; incorrectly identified Covington in a suspect lineup; and identified Jones as her rapist despite the fact he was never stationed at the casino. Sgt. Jones also said he never met Cromer until last May, or months after she says he raped her.</p><p>Court records show Cromer&#8217;s request for a restraining order against Jones was thrown out by visiting Senior Judge Linda K.M. Ludgate of Berks County.</p><p>State Police, however, want one part of that order expunged because it calls for erasing all documents related to the restraining-order request. And they need those documents to clear Sgt. Jones in their separate criminal and administrative probes, which are standard procedure in such cases.</p><p>But Sgt. Jones&#8217; attorney, William T. Jones of Scranton, argues State Police have no right to file to expunge the judge&#8217;s order. He says only Sgt. Jones himself, Cromer or the Luzerne County District Attorney can do so.</p><p>Sgt. Jones is petitioning the court to let the judge&#8217;s order stand. He is also seeking legal fees and costs along with any other relief the court deems appropriate.</p><p><strong>Hearings pending</strong></p><p>For the false report charge involving Covington, Cromer&#8217;s preliminary hearing has been continued to Feb. 2, records show.</p><p>That preliminary hearing was initially moved from central court to the Luzerne County Courthouse at the request of Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis and Assistant District Attorney Angela Sperrazza.</p><p>Salavantis and Sperrazza claimed Cromer&#8217;s husband often antagonizes law enforcement at her hearings, causing them to worry the central court site could not be adequately secured.</p><p>Bail was set on this charge at $30,000, which records show Cromer was able to pay through a bail bondsman.</p><p>Cromer has another preliminary hearing scheduled for Jan. 2 in relation to the unsworn falsification charge stemming from the restraint order against Jones.</p><p>Bail for that count was set Tuesday at $20,000, which Cromer was not able to post, records show. She was locked up at the county prison to await her hearing dates.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Cromer </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/web1_Cromer-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Cromer </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Patrick Kernan</p><p>pkernan@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6386 or on Twitter @PatKernan</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Woman accused of lying about trooper rape arraigned on new charge as case takes twist