Newport police Chief Michael Capriglione admitted in court Friday to charges he ordered the deletion of security video showing him crash into another vehicle in the department's parking lot.

Capriglione, who was suspended by the town six days after the May 19 incident, faces up to a year in prison and fines at his sentencing, tentatively scheduled for June.

Newport officials did not immediately respond Friday afternoon to a message seeking clarification about how the two misdemeanor charges he pleaded guilty to will affect his job status.

Capriglione, who has been chief for about 40 years, was suspended with pay on May 25. His yearly salary is $125,528.

Former Newport Mayor Franklin Walker, who was at the courthouse Friday to show support, said Capriglione should be given a second chance.

"We all make mistakes," he said. "I have an eraser on every pencil I own. So I don't think people should be so quick to judge.

"He had a fender bender. That happens. I'm sure he's very sorry."

Capriglione's lawyer, James E. Liguori, said they would comment after the sentencing,

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Capriglione was indicted in June on charges of official misconduct, tampering with physical evidence, careless or inattentive driving and failure to provide information at the scene of a collision.

In a written statement, a Department of Justice spokesman told The News Journal that the 62-year-old police chief was accused of striking and damaging another vehicle in the Police Department parking lot on May 19 and failing to report the collision to the owner or any authority before taking "additional steps to avoid detection."

The indictment also claims Capriglione sought to prevent the use of "certain surveillance video" by its alteration, destruction or concealment or by employing force, intimidation or deception against another person.

At Friday's plea hearing, prosecutors said Capriglione ordered the deletion of the surveillance video showing him striking another vehicle in the Police Department's parking lot while driving a departmental vehicle.

In exchange for his plea to the two misdemeanor charges – careless driving and official misconduct – state prosecutors dropped a misdemeanor offense and the felony charge of tampering with physical evidence.

This is not Capriglione's first brush with the other side of the law.

In 1999, he was charged with assault after being accused of beating his wife during an argument. Arrest records state that police noted bruises on his wife's cheek, arm and side. His wife subsequently sought a protection from abuse order.

She later dropped that petition and wrote to then-Attorney General Jane Brady, explaining that she would not testify in the case and had not been battered.

She later said her husband should have never been arrested and accused New Castle County police of intimidating her during the investigation.

That case against Capriglione was eventually dropped and is no longer part of court records, which means it was likely expunged.

Contact Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299, eparra@delawareonline.com or Twitter @eparra3.