Former Westmoreland County probation officer not guilty of official oppression

A former Westmoreland County probation officer was acquitted Wednesday for an alleged threat to jail a man she supervised on house arrest if he broke off their sexual relationship.

The seven woman, five man jury deliberated less than one hour before they returned the not guilty verdict to a misdemeanor count of official oppression against Mary Jo Borelli.

“She’s pleased with the verdict. She’s paid a very high price already for her mistake,” said defense attorney Brian Aston.

Borelli, 58, was fired in November 2019 after a 27-year career working for Westmoreland County. She worked as an adult probation officer since 2016 and supervised criminal defendants on pretrial probation.

Aston said Borelli will not seek reinstatement to her job as a probation officer but may retain her pension accrued during her tenure working for the county.

Prosecutors, during the two-day trial, contended Borelli had an affair in 2018 and into early 2019 with Paul Barsoum, a Derry Township man who was serving house arrest while awaiting trial in three separate criminal cases. Barsoum, 58, pleaded guilty in January 2019 to making false reports to law enforcement officials, threats against a district judge and stalking a next door neighbor. He is currently serving a six-year probation sentence.

The defense presented no witnesses during the trial and Borelli did not testify.

Her lawyers argued that no crime was committed and that Barsoum, who testified earlier this week, could not be believed.

During his closing argument to the jury, Aston conceded the sexual relationship between Borelli and Barsoum was inappropriate.

“He’s not a very nice guy and he has an agenda. He’s a two-time loser in life and was convicted of lying, twice,” Aston said.

The defense described Barsoum as a bitter man who was upset that he was prosecuted for crimes he continues to maintain he did not commit despite his guilty pleas. Barsoum, Aston said, explicitly told investigators in an email that disclosed his sexual relationship with Borelli, he wanted to embarrass the county’s judicial system.

Assistant District Attorney Katie Ranker argued Borelli used her position as a probation officer to ensure their affair continued.

“He feels there is corruption in the system. There is corruption. The person who has the keys to the jail is having sex with him,” Ranker said. She later told jurors: “This case is bigger than Mr. Barsoum. It’s about abuse of the system. She abused her authority.”

Barsoum testified Borelli initiated the sexual relationship shortly after she was assigned as the probation officer in charge of his house arrest. Borelli would routinely visit his home in the evenings, when the couple would eat dinner, watch movies and have sex, he claimed.

Barsoum said he tried to break off the relationship in a text message he sent to Borelli in December 2018. Days later, she sent an official email that included what he described as a false accusation that he was in violation of his house arrest and as a result could be sent to jail.

The prosecution introduced evidence of pictures recorded from Barsoum’s home security system three days after Borelli sent that email that showed she spent more than six hours at his home before she left at 12:46 a.m.

Barsoum said he exchanged hundreds of text messages with Borelli during the course of their affair. The prosecution introduced one text exchange from early 2019 in which Borelli that detailed some aspects of their sexual relationship.

“I just wanted to have fun. I don’t want to deal your tantrums anymore. I know you are out of here. I am not stupid,” Borelli wrote.