Ex-Worthington chief charged with stealing firearms parts
A former Worthington police chief is accused of stealing semi-automatic rifle parts from the borough police department.
Through his attorney, William J. DeForte, 43, of 1120 Clinton Road, Findlay, Allegheny County, on Monday denied the charges filed by state police on Thursday.
DeForte, who was chief from July 2009 to November 2012, is facing theft and receiving stolen property charges involving AR-15 rifle parts worth about $250 and two police radios and a charger worth about $1,150. In addition, he is accused of taking $540 in cash from Worthington's evidence locker.
Attorney Chuck Pascal said his client stole nothing and was released on his recognizance after he was arraigned. A preliminary hearing is scheduled in February.
Some of the same issues appear to be involved in a March 2013 federal lawsuit filed by DeForte.
DeForte was hired as the Pine Township police chief after leaving Worthington.
DeForte initially sued Worthington, its mayor, Kevin Feeney, council member Barry Rosen and current Worthington police Chief Gerald Rodgers for improperly alleging that he took items from Worthington.
DeForte is also blaming them for talking with Pine Township officials to disband that police department, costing DeForte his job.
On Friday, the federal court dismissed Rodgers from the lawsuit.
“I don't believe this is a coincidence between the charges and lawsuit,” said Craig H. Alexander, who is representing DeForte in the lawsuit. “A lot of dot connecting can be done,” Alexander said.
The Worthington case is not the only time that DeForte has been accused of misconduct.
In October, DeForte was charged by campus police at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth with carrying two semi-automatic pistols while on campus.
He was charged with having a handgun at the university without a license and not having the handguns and ammunition locked up. He allegedly showed the guns to other students.
In an October interview, DeForte told WPXI-TV that the matter was a misunderstanding. He said university police confiscated his pistols.
“I was shocked. I was absolutely shocked. It's like they almost totally ignored the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act,” DeForte told WPXI.
On Monday, Pascal said DeForte, who was enrolled in law school at UMD, had all but one of the firearms charges — involving the securing of the guns and ammo — dismissed.
Pascal said DeForte is still a North Buffalo police officer and is entitled by federal law as an officer to carry the sidearms.
“To the best of my knowledge, he's still a police officer for North Buffalo,” Paul Kirkwood, a township supervisor, said Monday.Pascal anticipates the final Massachusetts charge to be resolved in DeForte's favor so that DeForte can resume attending classes.
The university police chief was not working Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and was unavailable for comment, university police said.
Chuck Biedka is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-226-4711 or cbiedka@tribweb.com.
