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CANFIELD -- Suspended Salem Township Constable Dan Valentine pleaded guilty to an amended charge of disorderly conduct and paid a fine of $100 during a pretrial Friday in Canfield.
Valentine appeared with his defense attorney Ryan Ingram and made no comment after being sentenced by Judge Molly Johnson in Mahoning County Court #5.
"Stay out of trouble," she advised Valentine at the end of the hearing.
The 53-year-old Leetonia resident had originally been charged with a first-degree misdemeanor charge of theft after being accused of stealing five mini bottles of liquor from the Wine Connection, state Route 14, Columbiana, on Oct. 25.
A motion by assistant county Prosecutor Michael McBride to amend the theft charge to a minor misdemeanor of disorderly conduct was accepted, leading to the plea. Ingram had met briefly with McBride before the hearing.
As part of the agreement, Valentine was ordered to have no contact with the Wine Connection.
Columbiana Police had been called to the business after the manager reported a man came inside that day and pocketed four mini bottles of Fireball whiskey and one mini bottle of Crown Royal whiskey before paying for a 30-pack of beer with a credit card. The name on the card was Valentine's and he was shown on video surveillance.
When contacted by police about the incident and after trying to make restitution and returning the liquor at Wine Connection, Valentine told the investigating officer that he had just forgotten to pay.
Salem Township trustees placed Valentine on paid administrative leave effective Nov. 12 until further notice after meeting on the personnel issue in executive session.
Valentine has been the Salem Township Constable since Aug. 1, 1991 and retired from the Beaver Township Police Department two years ago.
What the plea means for his job will be up to the Salem Township trustees. The trustees aren't scheduled to meet again until 10 a.m. Dec. 29.
mgreier@salemnews.net