GREENE – Erstwhile Village of Greene Police Chief Stephen Dutcher pleaded guilty on Monday to two counts of official misconduct and one count of second-degree criminal contempt.
Dutcher, 43, of Greene, was arrested earlier in 2014 after state police responded to a request from Greene village officials to look into a complaint of missing village property.
Dutcher was head of the Village of Greene Police Department for nearly 10 years after serving two years as night patrolman with the village.
Official misconduct charges originated from Dutcher’s purchase of tires and a vacuum cleaner for his personal use using village funds, according to the Broome County District Attorney’s Office, which served as special prosecutor in the case.
Using village funds, Dutcher purchased four Goodyear Ultra Grip tires valued at more than $500, and used them on his personal vehicle. Moreover, the former chief took a village-owned vacuum cleaner, and kept it for his personal use.
For the criminal contempt charge, prosecutors attribute a violation by Dutcher of an active order of protection in favor of his estranged wife.
Monday’s pleas by Dutcher also dropped additional charges related to the illegal transaction of firearms, and other village-owned property by the accused.
Dutcher was initially charged by state police for illegally possessing two village-owned police rifles in 2005 and 2006, and selling them to unnamed persons for an estimated $600 each. He likewise failed to reimburse the village for those transactions.
Additionally, in the winter of 2010, it was also alleged that Dutcher illegally took a dog cage valued at approximately $1,200 – which was meant for use in police vehicles – and then sold it. He again failed to deposit the proceeds of the transaction to the village, according to police.
According to public records, the Village of Greene compensated Dutcher to the tune of $69,092 for his service in 2013.
On April 17, a resignation of Dutcher was short-lived as he attempted to rescind his resignation on April 28, which was denied by village officials.
During the investigation, village officials remained tight-lipped about the pending case, which served only to feed public curiosity.
Supporters of Dutcher protested the decision by the village to not reinstate Dutcher, and cried foul hinting at a conspiracy, and citing a lack of information as “mysterious” at a village board meeting in May.
At that time, village attorney Robert Larkin assured villagers that the investigation was “out of the village's hands” as it was being conducted my members of the New York State Police.
Tom Jackson, Dutcher's lawyer, indicated that his client plans to pay the restitution, and is glad to have the case behind him.
“(Dutcher) plead guilty to (the charges), so he admitted his culpability,” Jackson said.
Far from a short shrift, if the rogue ex-police chief was ordered to pay $3,038 in restitution to the Village of Greene by the date of his sentencing. Furthermore, he will be assessed a $1,000 fine in conjunction with an ACD – or “conditional discharge” – for his misconduct, according to prosecutors following his plea Monday.
The Broome County D.A.’s Office acted as special prosecutor for the case, which originated in Chenango County.
“While I have no doubt that the Chenango County District Attorney's office would have conducted the matter with complete professionalism, I felt I made an appropriate decision to appoint this matter outside of the county to ensure the procedural integrity of the proceeding,” said Chenango County Judge Frank B. Revoir, Jr. in May of 2014.
Dutcher is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 17.