Ex-Folcroft officials lose appeal on tampering charges

Two former Folcroft Borough officials found guilty of tampering with public records have lost their appeal to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

Anthony Truscello, 72, a former borough manager, and Joseph Zito, 54, a former Borough Council vice president, were convicted in 2006 of records tampering but acquitted of wiretapping and invasion-of-privacy charges. Their case had been on appeal since.

E. Marc Costanzo, senior deputy state attorney general, said that his office received notice of the May 1 decision and would contact the Common Pleas Court judge in the case, advising him to issue an order that contains a surrender date for both men.

Truscello and Zito "have been ordered to serve a sentence with a minimum of 90 days," Costanzo said. The sentence in the case is three to 23 months.

Thomas Bergstrom, Zito's attorney, said he was disappointed in the decision. Calls to Truscello and his attorney were not returned.

In 2003, Truscello and Zito installed video surveillance equipment in a police locker room to tape officers secretly. Prosecutors said the pair were trying to discredit former Police Chief Ed Christie, who planned to run against Truscello's daughter, Deborah, for her seat as a magisterial district judge.

Truscello and Zito asked the private investigator who installed the equipment to describe the job as emergency lighting and wiring on official vouchers to conceal the nature of the work.