Prosecutor Drops Charges Against Three Sunwood Condo Owners

Editor's note: The author, George Gombossy, is a Local Voices contributor on Patch. Copyright 2012 CtCondoNews.com

A state prosecutor dropped larceny charges that had been filed against three Shelton condo owners accused of stealing financial documents from the property manager of their complex whom they were investigating for incompetence and double billing, CtCondoNews.com reports.

Joseph Miller, 79, a former board member, Kathy Benedetto, 56, a hospital accountant, and Joan Pagliuco, 66, a travel agent, – all of Sunwood Condominiums, had their cases nolled on Oct. 19, according to Benedetto.

They were each charged last July with sixth degree larceny charges. The three professionals had sought to have the charged dismissed but Benedetto said Friday they will accept the nolle, which means that after 13 months the charges will be dismissed. During that time the prosecutor can reopen the charges.

Defense attorney Edward Murnane of Bridgeport, who confirmed the nolles, said the prosecution refused to dismiss the charges.

All three deny intending to steal any documents and say they will now seriously investigate the property manager and will demand hundreds of more pages of documents.

The arrests was a culmination of a dispute that went into high gear when a worker for a construction company Knauf hired fell off a 39-foot roof last winter and was killed. No building permit was obtained for the skylight replacement project and OSHA-required safety harnesses were not worn by the workers. OSHA shut the job down at least two times.

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To read the full story with Knauf's comments, click here.