Former council pres pleads no contest in theft

SUNBURY - The former president of Northumberland Borough Council pleaded no contest to felony theft charges just prior to jury selection for his trial later this week.

District Attorney Tony Rosini announced that Bryan Wolfe, 40, of Northumberland, made the plea Monday in Northumberland County Court before Judge William H. Wiest. A no contest plea has the same effect as a guilty plea and Wolfe will face the same penalties. He was scheduled for a two-day trial.

Wolfe was arrested in June 2010, as he served as council president, when it was discovered he had received checks from the borough made payable to privately owned websites in excess of $10,000. The payments were made for software allegedly purchased through the websites but could not be found on any borough computer.

The former president also admitted to billing Northumberland Borough as a consultant because he believed he should be paid for his time, even though he had agreed to do the work without pay. Wolfe charged $25 an hour, disguising it as payment for software, and admitted that no one knew he was charging Northumberland the fees. The investigation showed that Wolfe accepted checks written to him for "reimbursement" totaling $8,000.

Wolfe was charged with stealing more than $18,000 from the borough.

His plea required that full restitution be made to Northumberland Borough, which was paid by a third party to the court.

Wolfe is sentenced to serve four to 18 months in prison, which will run concurrently to a sentence he received in Snyder County, for a theft from a former employer of more than $170,000.

Additionally, Wolfe will serve two years of probation. He was sentenced in Snyder County to nine to 23 months in prison followed by five years probation.

The case was prosecuted by Trooper James Nizinski of the Pennsylvania State Police stationed at Milton and First Assistant District Attorney Ann Targonski.

"This case was a difficult and complicated case which involved both Nizinski and Targonski educating themselves about use of the Internet and computers to commit thefts. The defendant used his computer savvy to take advantage of Northumberland Borough for his own financial gain," Rosini said. "I commend both Jim and Ann for their hard work in preparing this matter so that it could be resolved with the borough receiving full restitution for the theft."

Charges of theft by deception, access device fraud and unlawful use of a computer were ruled nolle prossed in the case.