Former Cheshire Police Captain Accused of Stealing From Union

Former Cheshire police captain Jay D. Markella, 46, was arrested Wednesday and is accused of stealing nearly $21,000 from the union he served as treasurer.

Markella, of 489 Maple Avenue in Cheshire, was charged with first-degree larceny — a class B felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $15,000, according to a press release.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit, the arrest is a result of an investigation into a complaint filed in Feb. 2013 with the Statewide Prosecution Bureau in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney by Cheshire Police Chief Neil Dryfe and leaders of the Cheshire Police Union.

Markella served as union treasurer from Jan. 2005 until he left the union upon his promotion to Captain, a non-union position within the police department, on Sept. 27, 2010. Union officers are volunteers who receive no compensation for their services, the warrant states.

The warrant alleges that between April 6, 2007, and Oct. 2, 2012, Markella stole 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.

Markella resigned from the Cheshire Police Department on Sept. 20, 2013.

According to the warrant, the alleged larceny was discovered by investigators in the course of an investigation into the unrelated theft of union funds for which another former officer has been convicted.

Robert Anderson, 43, of Wilton, was the president of the police union and was arrested on Jan. 9 for stealing nearly $50,000 from union accounts. Anderson pleaded guilty last week to three counts of fourth-degree larceny and will avoid jail time under a plea deal. He was originally charged with two counts of first-degree larceny. Anderson received a three-year suspended sentence with two years of probation.

Markella was arrested by Inspectors from the Statewide Prosecution Bureau and released on a $20,000 non-surety bond. He will be arraigned in Meriden Superior Court on Sept. 24.

(Pictured: Jay D. Markella/ Office of the Chief State’s Attorney photo)