Plea deal for Ohio chief in Parker-Broderick case

[February 04, 2010]  ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio (AP) -- The second Ohio police chief charged with snooping on the woman who bore twins for Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick pleaded no contest Thursday to a misdemeanor.

Chad Dojack entered the plea to a dereliction-of-duty count during a pretrial hearing. In exchange, prosecutors dropped felony charges of complicity to burglary and complicity to receiving stolen property. A trial on those charges had been scheduled for next week.

Dojack is chief of Bridgeport in eastern Ohio. He and the ex-chief of neighboring Martins Ferry, Barry Carpenter, were accused of scheming to take things from the pregnant woman's home in Martins Ferry to sell to paparazzi.

Carpenter was convicted in November on charges of receiving stolen property, theft in office and evidence tampering but acquitted of other counts, including burglary. He was sentenced last month to two years, eight months in prison.

Dojack faces up to 90 days in jail at his sentencing next week.

Messages seeking comment were left for T. Shawn Hervey, the special prosecutor in the case, and Dojack's attorney, Edward Sustersic.

Dojack was put on paid leave as police chief by the Bridgeport village council in early August, days after Hervey announced charges against the chiefs. Bridgeport's solicitor, Richard Myser, did not immediately return a call Thursday to inquire about Dojack's status in light of his plea.

Hervey had alleged that Carpenter entered the home of Michelle Ross and removed items identifying her as the celebrity couple's surrogate mother. Dojack and Carpenter attempted to peddle the items to photographers, Hervey said.

Carpenter testified during his trial that he went into the home to inspect it because he saw a door open. He said he photographed a surrogacy file that contained two ultrasound pictures and a plaster cast of Ross' pregnant stomach but did not take anything from the home.

Ross testified that she was staying in a West Virginia hotel at the time. She gave birth to the twin girls June 22 at an Ohio hospital.

[Associated Press]

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