Darrell Sapp, Post-Gazette Mary Dytko, Brentwood borough council president, was taken into custody this morning.

By Dennis B. Roddy, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Law enforcement agents today arrested the president of Brentwood Borough Council, saying she hid a felony conviction to get a state job, lied on an ethics disclosure form that she filed to run for office, and, after being elected to council, used a borough purchasing card to buy thousands of dollars in items for herself.

Mary Dytko, 47, was elected to council in November 2005 and became president the following summer. County prosecutors say she used a borough card to buy groceries, clothing, furniture and a DVD copy of "The Devil Wears Prada."

At the time of the alleged fraud, Ms. Dytko was working for the state treasurer's office.

Ten years ago, Ms. Dytko, using her married name, Mary Dytko Lawson, pleaded guilty to seven counts of credit card fraud, six of them felonies.

Records show that she moved into a home previously occupied by an elderly man who had moved to a nursing home. After moving in, she began to receive credit card applications addressed to him, forged his name, sent them in and eventually obtained seven credit cards in his name, running up more than $20,000 in debts over two years.

She was given five years' probation and ordered to repay $24,094.16 in restitution.

	Darrell Sapp, Post-Gazette Ms. Dytko was arrested this morning at her Brentwood home. Click photo for larger image.

Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. yesterday petitioned Common Pleas President Judge Joseph James to oust Ms. Dytko from her elected office.

At the same time, detectives filed multiple criminal charges of fraud as well as allegations of falsifying both her state job application and the ethics disclosure statement she signed while entering the council race two years ago.

The petition, called a "quo warranto" petition, seeks to have her removed on grounds that Pennsylvania law forbids anyone convicted of "an infamous crime" from holding public office.

On Aug. 6, 2005, Ms. Dytko applied for a job with the Pennsylvania treasurer's office and failed to disclose her prior conviction. At the same time, according to the charges, she also falsely claimed to have received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1982, with a major in business and economics. Registrars as Pitt found no record of her having attended the school.

A spokesman at the treasurer's office said Ms. Dytko left her job at the Pittsburgh office last month. An affidavit filed with the arrest warrant says Ms. Dytko resigned from her job there as a result of the investigation.

In the case of the ethics disclosure statement, detectives said Ms. Dytko, a Democrat, failed to list $10,000 in debts she owed. The form requires applicants to declare that they have listed all their debts as well as sources of income.

The debt stems from a May 12, 2003, loan she took from Kim Perrotti, a Brentwood woman, who later sued her and won a $10,000 judgment against her a year later.

Court documents show that the loan was taken out to pay back taxes Ms. Dytko owed. Her failure to pay her county property taxes on time was raised as an issue by her critics after she began to serve on council.

Prosecutors said Ms. Dytko began making purchases on her Brentwood borough purchasing card at an area Sam's Club store shortly after she obtained it. Records show she bought hot dogs, hamburger, milk, a fleece jacket, a sweater, soft-cushioned lawn furniture, a stroller set, flannel pajamas, men's boxer shorts, chocolates, cookies, gift wrap tape, DVDs including "My Super Ex-Girlfriend" and "The Devil Wears Prada" and a Princess Dora Magical Castle.

Borough secretary Dawn Lane noticed the purchases earlier this year and called them to her attention. She paid back $900. Later, the secretary noticed another series of purchases on the card. Ms. Dytko agreed to repay the borough, but continues to owe more than $2,000 for unauthorized purchases.

When Ms. Lane questioned Ms. Dytko about the purchases, Ms. Dytko said that part of the purchases were personal and some were for the Boy Scouts, the affidavit states.

Ms. Dytko heads a scout troop in the borough.

Attempts to reach Ms. Dytko at her Brentwood home last night were unsuccessful.

The borough's mayor, Ken Lockhart, said the matter "gives Brentwood another black eye."

Mr. Lockhart said he became aware "some time ago" of Ms. Dytko's criminal record, but was not aware it would disqualify her from holding office.

The district attorney's office, in a petition filed with Common Pleas Court yesterday, said the credit card counts to which Ms. Dytko entered a plea of guilty in 1997 warranted removal.

"The defendant's total of seven convictions for credit card fraud involve crimes of falsehood each of which qualifies as an "infamous" crime, the district attorney's petition declares.

Judge James set a July 24 hearing into the petition.