Trial begins for Westmoreland probation officer accused of official oppression

A Derry Township man told jurors in Westmoreland County court Tuesday that his female probation officer threatened to send him to jail if he broke off their sexual relationship.

Paul Barsoum testified during the first day in the trial of Mary Jo Borelli that he believed his pretrial release would be in jeopardy if he ended the monthslong affair with her. He said the relationship with Borelli started during her routine in-home checks with him as he awaited trial in 2018.

“When she started showing up, I saw indications she wanted more. She initiated sex,” Barsoum testified.

He said he unwillingly reciprocated her sexual advances.

“If I refused, she would retaliate,” Barsoum told jurors. “I wanted it to end. I knew it was wrong and I didn’t want to do it.”

Borelli, 58, of Jeannette is charged with one misdemeanor count of official oppression. Prosecutors said Borelli worked for the county for 27 years, first as a secretary at the county jail and later in the adult probation office. She became a probation officer in 2016, according to county records.

Assistant District Attorney Katie Ranker told jurors Borelli was assigned to supervise Barsoum’s pretrial house arrest, which included work release. Over a period of months they began an affair, Ranker said. It was not until Barsoum attempted to break off the relationship that Borelli sent him an emailed warning of a potential probation violation for improperly visiting a fitness club when he was supposed to be at work, according to the prosecution.

An email sent from Borelli’s county email address in December 2018 was read to jurors. In it she warned Barsoum of a potential violation.

“He felt intimidated and felt that if he didn’t continue the sexual relationship, he was going to jail,” Ranker told jurors.

Barsoum testified Borelli would visit him in the evenings, when they would eat dinner together, watch movies and have sex. They exchanged calls and hundreds of text messages through Borelli’s personal phone, he told jurors.

Retired county Detective Randy Gardner testified that investigations did not find any of those alleged text messages.

Barsoum, 58, eventually pleaded guilty in January 2019 to criminal charges in three cases, including allegations of harassment of a district judge and making a false report to police. He is serving a six-year probation sentence.

Borelli was fired from her job as a county probation officer in 2019.

Defense attorney Ken Noga told jurors Borelli’s actions amounted to poor judgement, resulting in her loss of employment, but maintained no laws were broken. Borelli never filed a formal warning that Barsoum violated his probation, Noga said.

“What she did was unprofessional, but it was not a crime,” Noga said.

Eric Leydig, the director of Westmoreland County’s Adult Probation Office, testified there is no indication in Barsoum’s probation records that he was warned by Borelli about a violation and potential revocation of his house arrest.

Defense attorneys Brian Aston and Noga said Borelli has not yet decided if she will testify when the trial resumes Wednesday.