Seafood theft case delayed again

03/21/2007

Abbe Smith , Register Staff

The criminal case of Joseph Gambardella, the longtime Madison police officer accused of stealing shrimp and lobster from a local restaurant, was delayed again Tuesday. The case was switched from Superior Court Part A on Church Street, New Haven, where more serious cases are handled, back to the courthouse on Elm Street, said his attorney, Hugh F. Keefe of New Haven.

Gambardella, who faces three felony counts of third-degree burglary and two misdemeanor counts of fifth-degree larceny, is scheduled to appear March 30.

He was arrested in December in connection with incidents that allegedly took place from June through October 2006. Keefe said Gambardella intends to plead innocent.

The Madison Board of Police Commissioners, meanwhile, is conducting termination hearings on Gambardella, 48, who is on unpaid administrative leave.

Gambardella, who has worked as a police officer for 15 years, is accused of stealing 21 packages of lobster meat and two bags of shrimp worth more than $900 from Lenny & Joe’s Fish Tale restaurant.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, restaurant owner Joseph Schreck installed a hidden video camera when he discovered he was losing inventory. After reviewing the surveillance video from Oct. 9, Schreck said he recognized Gambardella entering the restaurant and carrying what appeared to be an empty trash bag into the storage cooler. Gambardella was then seen leaving the cooler with the trash bag appearing to be weighed down, the affidavit states.

The October incident prompted a review of police records, which revealed a similar occurrence with Gambardella checking Lenny & Joe’s on Aug. 4. Schreck also observed lobster and shrimp missing on that date, the affidavit states. The third and recently added burglary charge stems from a June incident at Beebe Marine, also in Madison.

Abbe Smith can be reached at asmith@nhregister.com or 789-5615.