Ex-Cheshire Cop Reaches Plea Deal in Larceny Case

Former Cheshire Police Captain Jay Markella, 48, will avoid jail time and is required to repay the more than $21,000 he allegedly took from the department’s police union over a five-year period in a plea deal, according to the New Haven Register.

Luther Turmelle of the Register reports that Markella will plead guilty to a reduced charge of fourth-degree larceny when he appears in court next week.

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Markella had pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree larceny when he was arrested and faced a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of up to $15,000 if convicted of that charge.

Markella, who was the union’s treasurer from January 2005 until September 2010, is accused of stealing more than $6,100 from the union’s money market account, another $14,000 from its checking account and nearly $1,000 through purchases with a credit card issued for union use, according to Turmelle.

Read more at the New Haven Register here.