OXFORD – Stephen Dutcher – the one-time Village of Greene Police Chief – was sentenced Monday evening to a one-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay more than $1,200 in fines and surcharges in Town of Oxford Court.
Dutcher, 43, of Greene, was likewise ordered to pay an additional $3,038 in restitution to the Village of Greene and sign a five-year order of protection in favor of his estranged wife, stemming from a count of second-degree criminal contempt – in which prosecutors alleged that Dutcher had violated and active order of protection of the woman earlier in 2014.
Along with that charge, Dutcher pleaded guilty in September of this year to two counts of official misconduct following his April 24 arrest after state police responded to a request from Greene officials regarding missing village property.
Dutcher was scheduled to be sentenced for his crimes on November 17, but sentencing was postponed for one week.
Prior to his arrest, Dutcher led the Village of Greene Police Department for nearly 10 years after two years as night patrolman with the village.
On April 17 a resignation by Dutcher was short lived as he attempted to rescind the resignation on April 28 – only to be denied by village officials.
Throughout the investigation, village officials remained tight-lipped about the pending case – which served only to fuel public curiosity and speculation.
Supporters of Dutcher took to the streets to protest the decision by the village to not reinstate Dutcher, hinting at a conspiracy and citing the lack of information as “mysterious” at a village board meeting held in May.
Official misconduct charges originated from Dutcher’s purchase of tires and a vacuum cleaner for his personal use by 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 kept it for his personal use.
September’s pleas also satisfied additional charges related to the illegal transaction of firearms and other village-owned property by Dutcher.
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, failing to reimburse the village for the unapproved transactions.
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 in 2010. He again failed to deposit the proceeds of the transaction to the village, according to police.
According to public records, the Village of Greene paid Dutcher $69,092 for his service in 2013.
“(Dutcher) plead guilty to (the charges), so he admitted his culpability,” Jackson said at the September hearing.
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.