November 9, 2009
Seacoast Online
BRENTWOOD — Former New Castle police chief James Murphy was indicted by a Rockingham County grand jury on a felony count of “theft by unauthorized taking or transfer.”
Murphy is being prosecuted by the state Attorney General’s office, which alleges he stole $8,675 from the Coast Guard/New Castle Police Food Drive between November 2002 and December 2004.
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Murphy, 53, is being represented by attorney Michael Marsille, his Nov. 17 Portsmouth District Court arraignment has been cancelled, and the case is transferred to Rockingham County Superior Court.
According to the AG’s office, Murphy confessed to the thefts on Oct. 1 and claimed he stole the money for his wife, who is not charged with a crime. A forensic examination of the account revealed he transferred funds from the charitable account into his personal bank account 23 times and used it to write personal checks, the AG’s office alleges.