EASTHAMPTON — While investigating reports of several stolen “Joy Winnie for Mayor” signs, police caught one person in the act, an incident that could have resulted in a larceny charge.
On Saturday, William M. Sullivan — who supports Winnie’s opponent, Nicole M. LaChapelle — removed one of Winnie’s campaign signs from outside the College Highway Variety Store and placed it in his truck, according to an incident report by Officer Steven Mielke.
“I feel awful about this,” Sullivan, 73, said in a statement. “It was a complete misunderstanding between myself and the store owner, and it seems to have turned into a large conflict.”
According to Sullivan, he was going to return the sign to Robert Cadieux, who he said initially asked the store owner for permission to place the sign there.
The misdemeanor charge of larceny under $250 could result in no more than one year in jail, or no more than a $300 fine. However, Winnie has elected not to press charges.
Winnie’s husband and daughter reported to the Easthampton Police Department on Saturday morning that Joy Winnie’s campaign signs had been stolen from four sites. Mielke checked each location, knowing signs had been replaced, and took photos to monitor.
He drove by the College Highway store, where two signs were reported stolen, around noon Saturday and saw a Winnie sign next to a LaChapelle sign. Later in his shift, Mielke made the rounds to each of the four addresses to check if the signs were still there.
At the College Highway store, the Winnie sign was missing. The shop owner was not in, but the officer was able to contact him by phone, verifying that Winnie’s campaign had permission to place the sign on the site.
“I am not interested in politics so I gave them both permission because I try to help people out,” store owner Naresh Patel told Mielke, according to the report.
After speaking with Mielke, Sullivan’s wife, Claire, who works at the store, called her husband. Sullivan spoke with the officer and gave him the sign he had taken.
According to the report, Sullivan said “I only want the one sign” referring to the LaChapelle sign in front of the store.
Police later reviewed surveillance footage that showed Winnie’s husband placing the sign next to LaChapelle’s sign, and, about 45 minutes later, Sullivan removing it and placing it his truck.
Sullivan was involved with the city’s Licensing Board as well as the Easthampton Democratic Committee. He contributed $530 to LaChapelle’s campaign.
“He’s an active supporter,” LaChapelle’s campaign manager Kate Norton said, adding that he is not employed with the campaign.
“It is unfortunate that what was a simple misunderstanding turned into a serious and extensive — potentially criminal — investigation,” Norton said in a statement. “We want every citizen to exercise their right to vote, and we are confident that our supporters would never do something to willingly interfere with this election.”
Winnie’s campaign manager Nancy Stenberg released a statement Wednesday night, saying the campaign was “saddened and disappointed to learn that a supporter and contributor to the Nicole LaChapelle campaign is a suspect in the unauthorized removal of Joy Winnie for Mayor signs from the College Highway Variety Package Store.”
Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettenet.com.