Warren city employee gets probation for theft

WARREN — Warren city operations department worker Dennis Griffing pleaded no contest to misdemeanor theft today in Warren Municipal Court, was found guilty and was sentenced to three years' probation.

The plea means Griffing, 57, of King's Drive, will be terminated from his job, though he said just after the hearing he doesn't know exactly when that will happen.

Griffing signed a settlement agreement with the city July 18 that called for termination from his job if he were to be convicted of theft. He pleaded guilty to stealing a lawn mower from the operations department and taking it home.

Griffing said he was going to use the self-propelled mower the day he took it home because he has lung problems that made it impossible for him to cut grass using his push mower.

He said the mower he took home was used and not still in the box as has been reported. He said employees do sometimes borrow equipment from the city and bring it back. Griffing said he didn't know the mower had been mistakenly left at the operations department and should have been at a police substation because it had been stolen and recovered by police.

Judge Thomas Gysegem ordered Griffing to pay a $100 fine and court costs. Griffing will not have to serve any of his 180 days of jail time as long as he meets the requirements of his probation.