Della Rocco Arrest Warrant Details Chester Investigation
By Charles Stannard
CHESTER— Charles “Chuck” Della Rocco, 41, the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for first selectman, cancelled a scheduled Oct. 22 interview with Trooper Matt Warren at the Westbrook State Police Barracks as his electoral challenge to Republican First Selectman Tom Marsh entered its final days.
It was also the final days of Warren’s investigation of an alleged illegal sale of a motor vehicle that resulted in Della Rocco’s Nov. 5 arrest on charges of second degree forgery and third degree lareceny. Della Rocco’s initial appearance at Middlesex Superior Court Tuesday was postponed to Nov. 24 at the request of his lawyer, Hartford attorney A. Paul Spinella.
An arrest warrant released by court officials shows the police investigation of Della Rocco, a former Old Saybrook police officer who now works as a police officer for the state Judicial Department, began in late July when a neighbor, Cheryl Lynch, told Warren that Della Rocco had not returned a Ford pick-up truck he had borrowed earlier in the year. Della Rocco, who was nominated for first selectman by town Democrats at a July 27 caucus, returned the truck on Aug. 4.
But further investigation revealed that Della Rocco had allegedly advertised the truck on Craigslist.com in early July, and sold the vehicle in July to Paul Toumi of Coventry for $1,200.
Along with the Craigslist ad, police recovered a Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles bill of sale with an alleged forged signature of Peter Lynch, the husband of Cheryl Lynch. Peter Lynch is a Hartford police officer, and the warrant indicates Toumi had contacted Hartford police in late July with questions about the sale.
The Lynches, who had initially indicated that they did not want to have Della Rocco arrested, decided to press charges in the case after learning about the alleged forged bill of sale.
Trooper Warren contacted Della Rocco about the investigation on Oct. 5. According to the warrant, Della Rocco told Warren that he was running for first selectman in Chester and agreed to be interviewed by police at a later date.
Warren attempted to contact Della Rocco on his cell phone twice during October, with Della Rocco agreeing to be interviewed at the Westbrook Barracks on Oct. 22. Della Rocco contacted Warren on October 22, telling the trooper that he had obtained legal counsel and cancelling the scheduled interview. Police applied for an arrest warrant after Della Rocco cancelled the Oct. 22 interview.
