A former Santa Clara County Sheriffs Lieutenant and ex-union president was indicted August 2 for trading on the union's name to raise funds for sham charities.
According to the indictment by a Santa Clara grand jury, Armand Tiano and 12 alleged co-conspirators engaged in grand theft, tax evasion and money laundering that involved at least $1.4 million. Among the false charities were two created after the 1998 slaying of Millbrae police officer David Chetcuti. Allegedly, Tiano and the others persuaded many people to write checks for the "Officer Chetcuti Fund" and the "Millbrae Officer Family Trust Fund." The widow, Gail Chetcuti, never received any of those funds.
In his heyday, Tiano oversaw the county jails, presided over the Santa Clara Deputy Sheriffs Assn; and twice campaigned for Sheriff. In 1993, Tiano incorporated his own fund-raising group, the Deputy Sheriiffs' Sports Assn, and contracted with two brothers, George and Matthew Kellner, who already owed the union $100,000 in charity fund-raising. The brothers then began paying off Tiano from the ostensible charity to take advantage of "his official position and contacts" acc. to the indictment.
