NEW BERLIN – A stolen pro-gas drilling sign fanned the flames of controversy as the case came to the Town of New Berlin court Tuesday afternoon,
At the court appearance, Diana Teta, a 66-year-old clinical psychologist who resides in Patchogue, Long Island and in Morris returned a stolen pro-gas drilling sign taken from the lawn of Norwich Calvary Baptist Minister and President of the Central New York Landowners Coalition, Rev. Brian Conover.
First Assistant District Attorney Stephen Dunshee said Teta returned the stolen sign and the case was dismissed outright by prosecutors.
New Berlin Police officer-in-charge Dominick Commesso said the incident took place at about 2:30 p.m. Sept. 3 when Teta stopped her vehicle near Conover’s property at 5552 State Route 23 in the Town New Berlin.
According to witness William Kuhn, a neighbor and coalition member, Teta took the sign from Conover’s lawn and drove off.
Commesso said Kuhn then got in his vehicle and followed Teta’s car for several miles to South New Berlin, where he recorded her license plate number.
Kuhn later turned the information over to Conover, who called the police.
New Berlin Sergeant Robert Jones said he became aware of the crime at about 9 p.m. that same day and called Teta at her home in Long Island.
“She said she took the sign because she wanted one of her own, to put up at her house,” said Jones.
“She said she was unhappy about how much her electric bill was and she thought if there was more drilling for natural gas up here, that might bring the price down,” added Commesso.
Dunshee said the case was dismissed citing Teta’s age, lack of any criminal record and that she was a practicing and employed psychologist.
“Mrs. Teta was asked to return to the police station via a summons and return the stolen property. She did this and we dismissed the case. She was not arrested,” he said.
Commesso reported police used discretion in the matter when initially contacting Teta, telling her she could avoid facing trespassing or petit larceny charges if she returned the stolen property.
Commesso explained although it was rare, the department had dealt with stolen sign cases in the past with political and real estate signs, in which offenders with clean records were offered similar agreements.
The sign-stealing incident attracted attention from members of the Central New York Landowners Coalition, who contend Teta is an active anti-drilling advocate. Several members of the group reached out to local officials and media to express their concern, spurring a frenzy of interested parties to show up at the New Berlin Town Court Tuesday.
Coalition Steering Committee member Steve Gage of South New Berlin said he was speaking on behalf of the organization when he claimed Teta is against gas drilling.
“We have a right to express ourselves. These people are trying to tell us what we can’t do with our own land and now they’re telling us we can’t even put up signs on our own property. It’s unbelievable,” Gage said.
Following the Sept. 3 incident, the group began conducting their own investigation into Teta and Gage arrived at the New Berlin courtroom with a folder of information, drawn mostly from the Internet, that he claimed showed she was an active environmentalist. Gage was accompanied by several others who claimed sign stealing was an ongoing problem for coalition members in the area.
“I think they should have given her community service so she could work with Chenango County’s poor and maybe understand how important the economic development is for this area,” said Coalition Vice President Susan Dorsey.
Coalition member Jeff Dorsey added, “If she gets off on this, it would be a free for all – like saying the cops don’t care if you take our signs.”
A number of public officials expressed surprise or frustration that the crime had received so much attention as they fielded several calls from reporters and citizens Tuesday.
Town of New Berlin Justice Joseph Brillinger became so frustrated with the interest in the case that he barred the public from the courtroom.
The judge ordered journalists, coalition advocates and family members of the defendants from the room. He explained that the fire code for seating exceeded its capacity and said only defendants could remain in the courtroom, despite the fact that several seats were still vacant at the time.
Commesso also said he thought the incident was being blown out of proportion by the politics of the issue.
“Not too long ago we had a serious drug bust and barely anyone turned up for it,. This woman stole a gas sign and now everybody is here,” he said. “We just treated it like any other case involving an older woman – a doctor – with a clean record who stole a single sign.”