Westmoreland deputy sheriff suspended after out-of-state arrest

A veteran Westmoreland County deputy sheriff was suspended with pay on Monday after he was charged with crimes following an incident last week in another state.

Police in Louisville, Ky., charged Samuel D. Pilato, 59, of Hempfield with public intoxication and disorderly conduct in connection with a incident outside of bar and restaurant. According to a police report, Pilato and a friend attempted to enter parked cars and shouted obscenities at an off-duty sheriff’s officer working security at the bar.

Police said Pilato urinated between two cars, identified himself as a deputy sheriff and made an attempt to disarm a security officer.

Pilato, a deputy sheriff since 2010, earns an annual salary of $52,892. Sheriff Jim Albert said Pilato will continue to be paid while on suspension.

“It’s under investigation and we’re looking into it. The incident was over the weekend and we think it is misdemeanors, but we’ll see. We’re awaiting information,” Albert said.

Pilato is a Mt. Pleasant Area High School graduate and attended the University of Pittsburgh, where he played football. Prior to his current job at the sheriff’s office, Pilato worked for 25 years in various positions at a local building materials business.

He ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for sheriff in 2019.

Pilato, contacted Monday afternoon, said he regretted his actions.

“I just made a mistake, got drunk and had an interaction with police. It went from bad to worse. I was wrong and I take responsibility for my actions,” Pilato said.

He is scheduled to appear in a Jefferson County courtroom in Louisville on June 23 for an arraignment.