News Sections
Police chief convicted of 3 felonies in Parker-Broderick case
Font-size:
Share
Print
The Associated Press
Date: Tuesday Nov. 24, 2009 11:02 AM ET
ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio An eastern Ohio police chief was convicted of three felonies Friday but was acquitted of burglary charges in an alleged break-in at the home of a woman who carried twin girls for Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick.
A jury found suspended Martins Ferry Chief Barry Carpenter guilty of receiving stolen property, theft in office and tampering with evidence. He was acquitted on charges of burglary and unauthorized used of property or services.
Carpenter put his head in his hands after the verdict was read in Belmont County court.
"The bottom line is that there is a victim in this case whose privacy was so gravely intruded upon," Ohio Assistant Attorney General Emily Laube said. "If you can't trust the police, who can you trust?
Messages seeking comment were left for Carpenter's attorney, Dennis McNamara, and for Parker-Broderick spokesman Simon Halls.
Prosecutors alleged that Carpenter broke into Michelle Ross' home in May, took items related to her pregnancy and the surrogacy, and schemed with the Police Chief Chad Dojack of neighbouring Bridgeport to sell the items to celebrity photographers.
Dojack faces trial in January on two counts of complicity to burglary and one count of complicity to receiving stolen property.
Carpenter had testified that he went into the home to check it out because he saw a door open. He said he took photos of a surrogacy file that contained two ultrasound pictures and of a plaster cast of a pregnant stomach but did not take anything from the home.
He said he showed the photo of the cast to paparazzi and to several other people and said he never discussed selling items from the home to the photographers.
When his lawyer asked if he was just "messing" with the photographers, Carpenter said "absolutely." McNamara said in closing arguments last week that Carpenter made a bad choice.
"Barry admits that he acted very stupidly, but denies that he acted criminally," he said.
Ross testified that she was staying in a West Virginia hotel around the time of the alleged break-in and that, when she returned, she noticed ultrasound photos, surrogacy files and tax information were gone, photos had been rifled through and the plaster cast, made when she was pregnant with her own son, was misplaced.
Ross gave birth to the twins June 22 at an Ohio hospital.
Jurors deliberated for about 12 hours on Friday and Monday.
Carpenter faces a maximum 10 years in jail when sentenced Dec. 30. Until then, he must stay in his mother's home and will be monitored by a GPS device.
User Tools
Related Stories
CTV Entertainment
User Tools
About the tools
Need to get in touch with CTV? You can email the CTV web team using the 'Feedback' button.
-


Font-size
Print Article-
Feedback
Share it with your network of friends
Share this CTV article or feature with your friends. Click on the icon for your favourite social networking or messaging system, and follow the prompts.
Most Viewed News Stories
Most Talked about Stories
I applaud the budget, even though Health Care and education may stay unscathed. Sadly this cannot last and I worry to later this year where cuts will become enviable. If anything, this provides the Wildrose Alliance plenty of ammo when an election is called.








