The former Cheshire police captain accused of stealing $21,000 from the police union he once served appeared in court on larceny charges Wednesday.
Authorities say 46-year-old Jay Markella, of Cheshire, stole more than $6,100 from the union’s money market account, $14,000 from its checking account and another $1,000 using a credit card issued for union use.
Markella, one of the first to respond to the deadly Cheshire home invasion in 2007, declined to comment on the case while leaving Meriden Superior Court on Wednesday, but his wife spoke for both of them.
"He's not guilty," she said.
Investigators believe the thefts occurred between April 2007 and October 2012, during his tenure as union treasurer, which spanned from January 2005 until September 2010, when he was promoted to captain.
"It's an unfortunate and disappointing incident," said Fred Jortner, president of the Cheshire Police Union, who said Markella was a friend and once served as his supervisor.
According to court paperwork, officials discovered the missing money while investigating an unrelated case of union fund theft.
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"Bobby Anderson was arrested first," Jortner explained. "He made full restitution based onthe face number on the warrant, which we are pleased with."
Jortner said they expect the same from Markella if he is found guilty.
"From our end, we're not looking for palm and flesh. We're looking to recoup our fund and move on," Jortner said.
"We expect everyone to uphold the law, so certainly a police officer should be held to a higher standard," he added.
Markella resigned from the Cheshire Police Department in 2013, after Cheshire police and union leaders filed a complaint against him.
He faces one count of first-degree larceny and is due back in court Oct. 24.
