At the November 21 hearing, he was given two choices: plead guilty or take the matter to trial. His attorney, Justin Moore, whose law office is in Collingswood, told him he should be prepared to pay heavy fines if he pleaded guilty. The penalty varies based on the value of the goods. The value of the bench was set at $500. The penalty for a third-degree felony is 3 to 5 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $10,000.
Since October 10, a video of him and his son, who was also charged, has appeared on the Gloucester City Police Department’s Facebook page. The video came from a Cold Springs School security camera. “A neighbor alerted me about the video an hour after the police published it on October 10,” said Cleary. “I notified the police that I mistakenly took the bench and apologized for wasting their time. Even so, the video remains on Facebook.”
For 56 years, the 79-year-old Cleary has been providing the residents of Gloucester City and surrounding areas with the latest news.
Cleary said, “During my long career, some individuals and organizations have objected to my investigative reporting for various reasons. Some of those organizations have threatened me with physical harm. Others have verbally threatened me.
Included in the list are:
The Philadelphia Mob,
Pagan MC,
The Klu Klux Klan,
Skinheads,
Teamsters,
Longshoremen,
Politicians from both sides of the aisle.
“Most recently, I wrote about the Gloucester City mayor and council passing a budget that raised property taxes by an average of $1,000, a Gloucester City fireman who set fire to another fireman’s pants as a practical joke. I also wrote about the Gloucester City police department having the third-highest salary among police officers in Camden County.”
“In 2013, I had every intention of retiring at the end of that year, I had been working for over four decades. But in February 2014, my son-in-law was attacked by a man who hit him numerous times in his head and body with a claw hammer outside a Deli in Philadelphia. He nearly died. We were away when it happened. When I learned that the mainstream media were not covering the story, I forgot all about retirement. The public needed to know about this terrible attack, and if the mainstream media were ignoring what happened, then I would tell the story. I am glad I didn’t retire.”
”Not once during my five-plus decade career as a journalist have I felt that my chosen career was laborious. There are not many people in this world who can honestly say that. I also believe that I have made a difference in this world, and I don’t say that likely. Author Mark Twain said it best, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
