by MARJORIE NEEDHAM
At the end of the day Wednesday, July 15, Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer asked the attorneys in the Paul Perrotti trial what their expectations were for Thursday. They predicted they would be ready to present their closing arguments before the day ended. Those predictions were proven wrong.
At the end of the day Thursday, the prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah P. Karwan, had not yet finished her cross-examination of Perrotti. Meyer apologized to the jury for the trial running later than expected. He told them closing arguments should come late in the day Friday, and the jury should plan to return on Monday. The trial had originally been predicted to end by Friday, July 17.
Thursday saw defense attorney Martin Minnella finishing his questioning of Perrotti and Karwan beginning her cross-examination of Perrotti with Karwan’s cross-examination briefly interrupted so Middlebury’s former first selectman, Thomas Gormley, could testify.
Earlier in the morning, Minnella continued his questioning of Perrotti. One item he focused on was the secretary who worked for the Middlebury Volunteer Fire Department, Kim Connors. He asked Perrotti when Connors began to work for him at Perrotti’s electrical company, Paul Perrotti Electric. Perrotti responded, “Kim Connors was not an employee of mine.” He said she was a friend who offered to help him by doing some typing for him. In return, he said he did some wiring for her in 2012 and also gave her two $200 payments and some other cash.
Minnella asked Perrotti if he ever told Connors to sign his name on five checks she made out to herself. He said, “No.” Minella asked Perrotti if he ever told Connors he owed her $6,000, and Perrotti said, “No.” Minella then asked Perrotti when he found out Connors had stolen money from the ambulance fund. Perrotti said he found out in February 2015.
Perrotti said the MVFD accounting is kept in Quickbooks, and financial reports are given to MVFD members at their monthly meetings. He said he didn’t recall the checks Connors wrote to herself ever appearing on those monthly reports. He also told Minnella that he (Perrotti) is computer illiterate.
In response to questioning, Perrotti said he never told Connors to forge MVFD Treasurer Greg Perrin’s name on checks nor did he ever go to the Watertown Fire Department and tell Tim Connors, “Here’s a blank check. Just fill it in.”
Also under questioning by Minella, Perrotti told about the FBI visit May 15, 2014. Perrotti said a female agent called his home about 7 a.m. “I thought it was a joke, and I hung up,” Perrotti said. A couple of minutes later she called back. After that call, Perrotti said he went directly to the fire house, where he found the building and all the offices unlocked and about 10 FBI agents taking photos and going through files that were all over the office floor.
Perrotti said two agents interviewed him for about two hours. He didn’t know if the interview was recorded. He said when he told them he needed to contact the town attorney, they said it would be to his benefit to cooperate with them.
Minnella asked if the interview was typed and Perrotti was allowed to read it. He also asked him if he signed anything and if anything that was said was read back to him. Perrotti said it wasn’t typed or read back to him and he didn’t sign anything. Perrotti said he asked them if they had a search warrant, and they said they did.
Minnella asked Perrotti if he was arrested, handcuffed or told he was a suspect on May 14, 2015. Perrotti said he was just questioned.
Minnella also asked Perrotti about MVFD member Max Biggins, who testified earlier in the trial that he is a resident of Waterbury. A requirement for membership in the MVFD is Middlebury residency. Perrotti said MVFD member Brian Shaban introduced him to Biggins, Shaban’s best friend, in December 2011 and asked that Biggins be allowed to take the firefighter class on the condition that he would move to Middlebury. Perrotti said he let Biggins go through the training because he was going to become a Middlebury resident and training is offered only once a year.
Asked when Biggins began to work for Paul Perrotti Electric, Perrotti said Biggins didn’t work for the company; he just helped out there occasionally.
Karwan began her cross-examination by establishing that Middlebury provided Perrotti with a chief’s car and gas for that car. She also said he signed letters as the fire chief, “Town of Middlebury,” but Perrotti said that was not true. Karwan said he did send out some letters written on Town of Middlebury letterhead. She also noted that he supervised a town employee (Connors).
She showed W-4 forms signed by Perrotti and W-2 forms the town sent to him in 2011, 2012 and 2013. These forms are given to employees. Karwan said to Perrotti, “You didn’t contact anyone to say there has a been a big misunderstanding?” She asked Perrotti if he knew whether other MVFD members received W-2s from the town. He said he thought some did.
Referring to the photos of electrical work Perrotti said he had done that benefited the town, Karwan showed Perrotti invoices from Paul Perrotti Electric for some of the work that was done. She asked Perrotti why he didn’t mention to the jury when he was telling them about the photos that Paul Perrotti Electric was paid for the work. He said that wasn’t the point of presenting the photos. She said, “So you wanted to created the impression you were doing this out of the goodness of your heart?”
When Gormley took the stand, Minnella asked him about his ability as first selectman to hire, fire, appoint and direct the work of Perrotti. Gormley said he had no authority to do any of those things.Asked why members of the fire department are covered by the town’s workman’s compensation insurance, Gormley said he thinks state statute requires it. He said he had been an MVFD member 28 years and knew of no fire chief appointed by the Board of Selectmen. Karwan asked Gormley if he ever knew of a chief to get wages, tips or other compensation above and beyond his stipend, and Gormley said , “No.”
The trial continues Friday, July 17, at 9 a.m. in federal district court in New Haven.
