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Former Highwood Deputy Fire Chief on trial (more)
In a recent development following a lengthy legal battle, former Highwood Fire Department Deputy Chief Ronald Pieri has been found guilty on one count of false entry tied to the manipulation of time records. This verdict comes four years after Pieri's initial arrest on charges related to payroll fraud. However, Judge Victoria Rossetti acquitted him on two counts of official misconduct and two counts of theft of government property.
Scheduled for February 17th, the sentencing phase will determine whether Pieri faces probation or up to five years in prison. His defense attorney, Richard Blass, expressed disappointment with the verdict, stating that the evidence presented by the state did not meet the threshold of proof beyond a reasonable doubt for the false entry charge.
Throughout the trial, Judge Rossetti meticulously reviewed over 45 exhibits, including thousands of pages of documentation and testimonies from key witnesses. It became evident that Pieri, who once held a managerial role overseeing the firehouse computer system, was thoroughly acquainted with its functionalities and the associated personnel policies.
Pieri faced felony charges for allegedly falsifying time records between January 2006 and December 2010. During the proceedings, Assistant State’s Attorney Scott Turk painted a picture of Pieri as an aggrieved employee who desired a traditional 9-to-5 schedule, despite being expected to adhere to the same 24-hour shifts as other firefighters. On the flip side, Pieri’s defense team, led by Blass and Julie Trevarthen, argued that the prosecution’s case relied heavily on inconsistent data, pointing to discrepancies within three separate calculations prepared by the state’s fraud investigator. Additionally, the defense highlighted that the state presumed the firehouse computer records to be correct, even though an expert witness, Benjamin Wilner, dismissed them as unreliable due to anomalies, such as a fire official purportedly working 1,500 hours in a single day.
Initially placed on paid administrative leave upon his arrest in fall 2011, Pieri continued receiving his $66,000 annual salary until late 2013, when the city’s fire and police commissioners voted to suspend him without pay. The commission has deferred any decisions regarding Pieri’s employment status until the conclusion of the criminal trial.
Following the verdict, the city must now decide on the next steps concerning Pieri’s position. "The ball is now in the city's court," said Pecaro.
For those interested in further details, previous posts related to this case can be found here.