Chalet rejects plea bargain, trial set for May 16

A May 16 trial date has been scheduled for indicted Bloomfield Councilman Elias Chalet. Chalet had been offered a plea bargain of seven years in state prison, with three years of parole ineligibility. He rejected it.

Chalet has been indicted for official misconduct, bribery, benefiting unlawfully from a public office, tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution. Judge Martin Cronin told Chalet that if convicted by a jury, sentencing would be at the discretion of the court. Cronin said the maximum sentence he would give Chalet would be 10 years and the sentencing of all convictions would run concurrently. The judge said the trial should take four days.