November 22, 2005

Ex-cop gets jail for theft

By Dianna Cahn
Times Herald-Record

Goshen – Two months ago, Middletown police Officer William Maelia turned in his handcuffs, gun and badge. Yesterday, he walked out of Orange County Court with his own hands shackled.

Maelia lost his job with the police department when he was convicted in September of taking part in a payroll scheme to rip off hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Southwinds Retirement Home in Middletown.

Yesterday, Orange County Judge Nicholas DeRosa sentenced Maelia to six months in jail and five years' probation, saying Maelia had to have known better.

"As a police officer of 19 years on the street, you have lost the ability to assert you didn't know this was illegal," DeRosa said. "It's hard for me to believe you didn't know what was going on."

The jury didn't believe it, either, DeRosa said. That's why they found Maelia guilty of one felony and three misdemeanor counts of grand larceny and one misdemeanor count of conspiracy for helping steal $416,000 from the retirement home.

Former Southwinds Chief Executive Officer Barry Pehrsson was the scheme's mastermind and took the bulk of the money. He pleaded guilty and paid restitution of $450,000 before being sentenced to one to three years in state prison last week.

Maelia's role was to hold down a no-show job at Southwinds, which netted Pehrsson as much as $250,000, prosecutor Dave Meffert said. Maelia would cash the paychecks and turn most of the money over to Pehrsson, Meffert said. And he did this while he was a police officer.

Maelia claimed in his trial that he was hired by Pehrsson to find a possible thief at Southwinds. He said he was working for free because the home had cared so well for his own father during his final years. He held on to that theme yesterday.

"I am sorry I ever got involved with anything Dr. Pehrsson did criminally," Maelia said. "I do humbly apologize. I wanted with all great intention to help the people of Southwinds."

But DeRosa said Maelia had no such excuses. Pehrsson was the "kingpin," DeRosa said, but Maelia also deserved punishment.

Middletown police Chief Matt Byrne said Maelia betrayed his public trust.

"Officers are sworn to uphold public trust, and when that is violated, punishment should be severe," Byrne said. "His actions definitely brought embarrassment to the department. We expect more from our police officers."

In Orange County Jail, Maelia will likely be placed in protective custody to shield him from inmates with grudges against the Middletown police. He will sit in a jail run by his former colleague, Orange County Sheriff Carl DuBois.

DuBois worked for the Middletown Police Department from 1974 to 1997, while Maelia worked at the department for 19 years, beginning in 1985.

"It goes with the territory," DuBois said. "It's sad when any police officer is charged with something and ends up being convicted. … I guess it's good to know that is the extreme exception."