Marcus Hook mayor arraigned on corruption, booze, gun charges

Marcus Hook Mayor James D. Schiliro was arraigned Thursday on charges he allegedly had a police officer bring a 20-year-old friend to his home, where he gave the minor alcohol and fired a gun in his house while drunk.

Judge David R. Griffin set bail at $50,000 unsecured for Schiliro, 38, on charges of recklessly endangering another person, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, furnishing alcohol to a person under 21 years old, and official oppression.

"We intend to fight these charges," said Michael Malloy, Schiliro's attorney. Schiliro did not comment.

Schiliro has been asked by the borough council to resign, which he has said he would not do.

According to court records, on the night of Feb. 21 Schiliro sent a text message to the friend and later ordered an unidentified borough police officer to pick him up in nearby Trainer and bring him to Schiliro's home in a police vehicle. While there, the young man said, he was given three glasses of wine.

According to the unidentified victim, Schiliro asked if he could perform oral sex on the friend 20 to 30 times during the time he was in the house.

Malloy said he and his client were learning about those allegations for the first time at the arraignment. Malloy said it was his understanding that was "not" how the event occurred at all. The friend, Malloy said, is now 21-years-old.

"The facts will come out differently than they are in the complaint," said Malloy.

According to court records Schiliro had three handguns, which he waved about. At one point he placed a gun to his head and said "he didn't want to live anymore," according to the court documents.

Schiliro fired a gun into the floor. He also told then 20-year-old he was a hostage, according to the documents, and the young man told investigators he feared for his life.

Ballistics tests done by the investigators confirmed a bullet found in a wall in Schiliro's home did match one of the guns. Schiliro sold eight weapons shortly after the incident, according to court records.

Schiliro entered an alcohol treatment program and is undergoing counseling, said Malloy.

Prosecutor Michael R. Galantino, citing a conflict of interest at the district court level, said the case would be transferred to another court for the preliminary hearing. He had no further comment.

Schiliro, a Republican, was elected to a four-year term as mayor of the Delaware County town in 2009. In November he ran in election for Pennsylvania House District 159 and lost to longtime Democratic incumbent Thaddeus Kirkland.