Attorney says Arnold police chief facing trial for theft was entrapped by integrity test

What prompted state authorities to test Arnold police Chief Joshua Stanga’s integrity remains undisclosed as a criminal case against him moves forward.

Stanga, 41, of Arnold was ordered Wednesday to stand trial following a nearly two-hour preliminary hearing before Washington Township District Judge Jason Buczak. The hearing was moved there after New Kensington District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr. recused himself.

Stanga remains suspended without pay, Arnold Mayor Shannon Santucci said. She had no other comment.

The state Attorney General’s Office charged Stanga in September with misdemeanor counts of theft, misapplying entrusted property, obstructing administration of law, unsworn falsification to authorities and tampering with evidence.

The state AG’s office alleges Stanga failed to turn over all of the cash he found in a car AG’s agents and state police placed in Union Cemetery on Aug. 6. They confronted him Aug. 16 and filed charges against him Sept. 19.

Stanga pleaded not guilty to the charges Wednesday.

State police Cpls. Joseph Ponepinto and Chris Wingard and attorney general’s agent Richard Miller testified during the preliminary hearing.

Tomm Mutschler, a senior deputy attorney general, objected when Stanga’s attorney, Timothy Dawson, asked who initiated the test and why Stanga was targeted. He also objected when Dawson asked whether politics was involved.

Dawson said the defense will be that Stanga was entrapped.

“We believe my client was set up and put in a position to commit these alleged crimes, which he would not otherwise be inclined to do,” Dawson said.

Ponepinto said the purpose of an integrity test is to make sure an officer handles evidence properly.

“Everybody has the opportunity to do the right thing,” he said.

Dawson did not offer his own theory as to why Stanga was tested.

“Reasons will be developed at trial to show why my client was the target of this integrity test,” Dawson said. “There’s individuals involved who are not here today. There’s some bad blood, some prior complaints involving Arnold that did not come into evidence today, and we’ll explore all those at trial.”

According to testimony, state police placed a car equipped with cameras in Union Cemetery along Freeport Road on Aug. 6. A live camera feed was lost when its battery died. A drone also was used.

In addition to eight fake Oxycontin pills, $35 in loose bills was placed on the front passenger seat while $278 was secured with a rubber band and placed in a center cup holder. The money had been photographed and the serial numbers recorded beforehand.

State police intended to anonymously report the car as stolen to trigger Stanga to respond. However, a cemetery worker found the car partially blocking a road and reported it first.

Stanga reported finding the pills, state investigators say, but reported only $35 in loose bills from the car, which he put into evidence wrapped in a rubber band Aug. 9.

Agents questioned Stanga at the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office on Aug. 16, luring him there on the pretense of a drug task force meeting.

Miller testified that Stanga told them he had been suspicious of the incident, felt it was a setup and that he had the missing money along with a letter explaining what he did and why. If he determined it was not a setup, Stanga told them, he was going to return the money to the car’s owner, Miller testified.

Stanga acknowledged that his actions were against the law, Miller said.

Investigators said they found a bag containing $291 in cash along with a two-page letter Stanga told them was a supplement to his report in the police car that Stanga drove to the bogus drug task force meeting.

Of the $291, only one $50 bill was from the money police placed in the vehicle, state investigators said.

What happened to the rest of the money left in the car will be explained at trial, Dawson said.

The $278, the item of theft, was recovered, he said.

“Within 10 days of this incident, they got all the money back,” he said. “There is no intent to deprive anybody of that money. It was a ruse. It was a setup.”

Dawson called the $13 additional cash that Stanga gave to investigators “a bonus.”

“We’ll be looking for that money back,” he said.

Dawson maintains that Stanga did not steal nor obstruct an investigation.

“He looks forward to getting back to being chief when all this is done,” he said.