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Robles Reportedly About To Resign From Legislature

Chief State's Attorney To Review Allegations Of Double Billing By Officer

By JENNA CARLESSO

August 14, 2010

HARTFORD — — Two members of the Hartford Democratic Town Committee said Friday that police officer and state Rep. Hector Robles intends to resign from the legislature and the town committee — one day after the Hartford Police Department released an internal affairs report accusing Robles of running a double-billing scheme.

Sean Arena, the Hartford representative for the Democratic State Central Committee and a member of the town committee, said Robles called him Friday afternoon and said he would hand in the two resignation letters.

Calls to Robles, a Democratic state representative for the 6th District in south Hartford, were not returned Friday. Attempts to reach House Speaker Christopher Donovan, House Republican leader Larry Cafero and House Majority Leader Denise Merrill were unsuccessful.

Janet Appellof, a spokeswoman for the Hartford Democratic Town Committee's 6th District, said Robles called her about 1 p.m. Friday to tell her he planned to resign from the town committee and the legislature. She said she left Robles a phone message Thursday asking him to resign.

"I asked him to please resign. I thought he owed it to his constituents, and he should not embarrass the town committee and his constituents any further," Appellof said.

A Hartford Police Department internal affairs report accusing Robles of defrauding the department of more than $9,000 was sent to the Chief State's Attorney's Office Friday for review.

"We will review it and take the appropriate action," said Mark Dupuis, a spokesman for the office.

If the office decides to investigate the matter, that could set the stage for criminal charges against Robles. Dupuis said the case was referred to his office by Hartford State's Attorney Gail Hardy.

The Hartford Police Department concluded a nearly yearlong investigation into Robles, releasing the 341-page internal affairs report Thursday. In it, Robles is accused of running a double-billing scheme by fabricating documents to give the appearance he was on duty while he was actually working private jobs.

Robles has been charged with knowingly or willfully making a false entry in any department record, intentional absence from duty without authorization, conduct unbecoming an employee and intentional failure to comply with lawful orders, procedures, directives or regulations, oral or written. Robles is not being charged with crimes, but with violating the Hartford Police Code of Conduct.

At least one of the charges carries the possibility of termination. If Robles decides to go forward with a disciplinary hearing, it would be scheduled for Sept. 20, according to the internal affairs report.

Hartford police Lt. James A. Bernier, an advocate for the police department, wrote in the report that if certain charges are sustained during the hearing, he would recommend that Robles be terminated.

Altogether, the report states that Robles cheated the department out of about 360 hours of work for a total of $9,223.56 between Aug. 1, 2008, and Oct. 10, 2009.