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December 4, 2009

Former trooper sentenced for thefts

By ANDREA VanVALKENBURG

PLATTSBURGH — Former Trooper Robert Czora’s attorney said his client’s life has changed drastically since his downward spiral from the force.

Attorney Richard Cantwell said the 42-year-old Morrisonville man has been under a “great deal of stress” since he resigned from the State Police amid an official-misconduct scandal and was then arrested twice for theft.

Czora, who is currently unemployed, didn’t say a word when he was sentenced in Clinton County Court Friday morning to five years probation for possessing stolen property. But Cantwell spoke on his behalf.

Czora was first arrested in 2007 after his former comrades learned he had scammed an unsuspecting driver out of $300 after he pulled her over while on patrol.

Then, he was arrested twice this year after State Police discovered he had stolen thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from his former employer, Northeast Printing and Distribution Co. in Plattsburgh.

Authorities later linked Czora to another theft involving tires that had been taken off a stolen Jeep.

Police found the wheels while searching Czora’s home during the first theft investigation.

He was not accused of stealing the Jeep, which was recovered, but was charged for possessing the stolen tires.

Police believe Czora had been selling the stolen property, including jewelry and artwork, in New York and Vermont and through the Internet.

He later pleaded guilty to a single felony charge in satisfaction of the pending larceny cases.

In court Friday, Judge Patrick McGill acknowledged Czora’s personal strain but noted that it was his own actions that have led to the negative changes in his life.

McGill said society’s sentence on Czora will be harsher and longer than that of the court. It’s difficult to establish “a clean slate” once a person’s honesty is questioned, the judge said.

“You may never be able to climb out of the hole you dug yourself.”

McGill sentenced Czora to complete 200 hours of community service.

As he handed down the negotiated sentence, McGill also ordered Czora to pay $4,755 in restitution and $375 in court expenses.

Before McGill spoke, Cantwell requested a more lenient payment schedule for those requirements, saying, “It has been difficult for (Czora) to maintain employment” because of extensive media coverage of his criminal cases.

He said Czora, who is going through a divorce, was “very remorseful” for his actions.

Czora had 14 years on the job when he resigned. He has never publicly commented on the cases.



E-mail Andrea VanValkenburg at:

avanvalkenburg@pressrepublican.com

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