A federal judge has agreed to extend sentencing to April for former Bridgeport police chief A.J. Perez, who pled guilty in a fraud case last year. The judge also extended sentencing for the city's former personnel David Dunn, who also pled guilty in the same case.
Perez also wants a court to make sure his guilty plea in a federal fraud case doesn’t affect his pension.
Armando "A.J." Perez pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and lying to the FBI. Prosecutors say he worked with the city’s personnel director to ensure he would get the job of police chief while he served as acting chief.
An attorney for Perez said the former Bridgeport Police Chief has a medical appointment for an ongoing health issue scheduled for mid-February. The attorney said the appointment could provide information that could be useful for sentencing.
Perez’s attorney also said he needs more time to reach an agreement to pay back the city. Federal prosecutors want Perez to pay Bridgeport nearly $150,000 the city spent on its search for a new police chief.
Perez’s attorney said his pension shouldn’t be affected because he accrued it before he became the city’s police chief. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said state law requires a public official’s pension be revoked or reduced for crimes on the job.
If he keeps his full pension, Perez will receive just over $100,000 a year.
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