GETTYSBURG — A former Gettysburg Borough police officer pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges that he illegally recorded a fellow officer, according to court documents.
Michael Carricato is charged with illegal intercept communications, a third-degree felony, and a misdemeanor count of official oppression. His formal arraignment was held Thursday morning, court documents say.
Carricato, 28, was investigated last year after Gettysburg Police Chief Joseph Dougherty contacted the Adams County District Attorney’s Office and told investigators he suspected that Carricato had recorded another officer in the department, Brandi Courtesis, without her consent in 2015, according to the criminal complaint. Carricato allegedly used a body camera to make the recording.
Dougherty gave investigators a thumb drive containing video and audio recordings from a police department computer.
On the video, the person wearing a body camera approaches Courtesis and initiates a personal conversation, following her from her desk to different areas of the police station. After about six minutes, Courtesis is heard saying “Are you recording me?” The person wearing the camera is heard admitting he is. Courtesis is heard repeatedly indicating she did not know, and did not consent to, being recorded.
Courtesis also filed a lawsuit against the former officer, Dougherty, the Gettysburg Borough and supervisor Sgt. Larry Weikert in February for alleged gender discrimination.
In the lawsuit, Courtesis described a similar encounter with Carricato where she said the officer allegedly filmed without her consent.
The suit was settled in June for $213,000, and Courtesis resigned from her position as part of the agreement. Carricato was fired from the force Nov. 13.
