A Penn State University Police sergeant who played a key role in cracking a decades-old cold case, among other achievements, was named Centre County Law Enforcement Officer of the Year on Thursday.
Nicholas Sproveri, a 15-year law enforcement veteran, became the first Penn State police officer to win the countywide award since it was instituted by District Attorney Bernie Cantorna’s office in 2019.
“When I think about Nick and why this recognition is being made today, it is really about the person. It is about the character and integrity he brings to the job, and it is about that empathy,” Cantorna said during a ceremony at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte. “And you can see it in the cases and the people that he has worked with along the way.”
A detective in the department’s Criminal Investigations Unit for the past seven years before being promoted to sergeant, Sproveri was praised by Cantorna and Penn State police chief Wes Sheets for his work on solving complex cases, collaboration with other law enforcement agencies and victim advocacy.
In 2021, recognizing that new technology may help find an answer, Sproveri reopened the case of a 19-year-old student who was raped while jogging on the Penn State Golf Course in July 2000. Utilizing genealogical testing, Sproveri worked with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office in Michigan, where a similar assault occurred in 1999, and in 2023 a suspect was arrested in both cases.
Kurt Rilemma was convicted in the Michigan case and sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison in January. Centre County prosecutors plan to extradite him for trial in the Penn State case.
“Thanks to Nick’s belief that justice has no expiration date and his bold use of emerging technologies, a cold case found new light and a victim was provided along the way to justice,” Sheets said.
Sproveri’s investigative work also led to the arrest and conviction of an Allegheny County drug dealer who supplied the fentanyl that cause the overdose death of a Penn State sophomore in 2018.
That same year, he quickly identified a Bryce Jordan Center employee who surreptitiously recorded a student in a bathroom during State College Area High School’s prom, and his investigation uncovered 22 victims who had been secretly filmed in the arena’s restrooms by the man over the course of a year.
“… His work has not only solved cases, but brought closure and healing to victims, survivors and their families,” Sheets said. “These are not merely cases solved, they’re an enduring example of Nick’s character, his empathy and his unshakable dedication to service.
Sproveri was quick to credit members of the Penn State police department, other local law enforcement agencies and the resilience of victims and witnesses, which he said “is kind of the only reason why some of these cases come to prosecution.”
“My name’s on the plaque, and I’m very honored for that, but a lot of the big cases I really only do 10% of the work on,” Sproveri said. “I rely on the detectives that are in my Criminal Investigations Unit, my supervisors, the officers in my department, the district attorney’s office, other law enforcement entities. A lot of people don’t realize how well we work with each other in Center County amongst ourselves.”
Throughout his tenure, Sproveri has been a patrol and bicycle officer, a member of the Centre County Tactical Response Team and a certified drone operator for law enforcement operations, including providing aerial support at the Little League World Series in Williamsport.
He is a certified cell phone forensics expert who assists in countywide investigations, an FBI Task Force officer and an instructor for Centre County Camp Cadet and the Citizens’ Police Academy.
Sproveri had previously nominated for Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. Cantorna said on Thursday “he is more than due to be here being recognized,” and Sheets called him “an extraordinary public servant.”
“I feel very fortunate and grateful that I was awarded this,” Sproveri said. “There’s a lot of good work done in Centre County by law enforcement, a lot of deserving individuals. I’m just very happy for myself, my department, my colleagues, my family to be awarded this. It’s emotional. It’s almost overwhelming to see everybody here.
“Any one of the nominees if they were selected for this award they would have had the same turnout as this. I truly cannot say enough about law enforcement in Centre County — how professional everyone is, the resources we have.”
The four other nominees for this year’s award were State College police lieutenant Charles Hamilton, Bellefonte police officer Lisa Larkin, state police trooper Tyler Prisk and Patton Township police officer Elijah Vardzel.
PAST CENTRE COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS OF THE YEAR
• 2019 – State College Officer John Aston, Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Jeffrey Ebeck
• 2020 – State College Detective Donald Paul, Patton Township Officer Brian Shaffer
• 2021 – State College Detective Stephen Bosak
• 2023 — Ferguson Township Detective Caleb Clouse, Bellefonte Officer Macy Neideigh
• 2024 — Spring Township Detective Lucas Nelson
