The man Westmoreland County prosecutors said bribed former Ligonier Valley Police Chief John Berger with pain pills and an award is now cooperating with authorities.
Michael Hootman, 43, of Ligonier Township served as a key witness for prosecutors during a preliminary hearing for Berger on Friday.
Prosecutors accuse Berger of felony criminal counts of bribery, theft, obstruction of administration of law, criminal use of a communication facility, delivery of a controlled substance, acquisition of a controlled substance by misrepresentation and receipt of a controlled substance.
Ligonier District Judge Allison Thiel ruled there was sufficient evidence against Berger for his case to continue in the Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas.
Prosecutors contend Berger, 53, of Ligonier Borough allowed Hootman to operate as a drug dealer, selling cocaine and marijuana out of his Ligonier home in exchange for free pain pills, a plaque and a cash prize award from the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Ligonier.
“This individual was operating as a drug dealer in Mr. Berger’s jurisdiction. He suspected Mr. Hootman was a drug dealer and chose to turn a blind eye to it,” Lazar said. “There was an unspoken agreement and a benefit to each other. The situation here is Mr. Berger was an investment to Mr. Hootman.”
Hootman, who at the time served as the VFW post commander, testified he asked Berger for a recommendation for a person to receive the award that was geared toward first responders.
“When I asked if he could recommend anyone from the police force, he said he should get it,” Hootman testified. Berger penned a letter that lauded his accomplishments as a member of the county’s drug task force that Hootman forwarded to the VFW’s members who ultimately approved the award, he said.
He testified that on at least three occasions he met with a uniformed Berger and gave him pain medication, including one time in which the police chief acknowledged the transaction.
“He said, ‘Don’t worry, it’s not illegal because you’re not selling it to me,’” Hootman testified.
Hootman is facing bribery and drug charges. He is a former U.S. Marine who served two tours of duty overseas, according to his defense lawyer, Bill McCabe, who said following Friday’s hearing that Hootman was not offered a plea deal or immunity in exchange for his testimony.
“He came back (from deployments) and made a couple of mistakes. He decided to testify because he thinks it’s the right thing to do,” McCabe said.
The charges against Berger and Hootman arose from a county grand jury investigation that, according to court records, included allegations from witnesses that the now former police chief used his position to allow Hootman to operate his drug business. Hootman testified Friday he did not know if Berger was fully aware of the scope of his drug dealings, in which he sold cocaine and marijuana. A vehicle parked in the driveway in front of his home was a drop for the transactions, he said.
Prosecutors contend Berger was aware of Hootman’s activities and leveraged that information to acquire controlled substances for his personal use.
Berger is also accused of stealing drugs discarded by local residents from drop boxes in the township and borough where unused medication is left to be destroyed.
Ligonier Valley patrolman Rob Hakel testified he saw Berger search through a bag of pill bottles as he drove through Ligonier in early 2023. Hakel said he suspected Berger, who was the lone person on the police force with a key to the drop box, had pilfered the pills.
Pennsylvania State Police trooper Joshua Wiskeman testified Berger became a target of investigation during a probe of allegations involving Hootman’s drug dealings. Investigators monitoring a camera installed on a pole near Hootman’s home spotted Berger, in uniform and in his police vehicle, approach the home and was given what appeared to be drugs.
A subsequent search warrant found 16 prescription pill bottles with more than 1,000 pills in a yellow bag on the floor of Berger’s police vehicle, Wiskeman testified.
Berger, who is free on $100,000 bail, did not speak following Friday’s hearing.
His defense lawyer, Charles Porter, said the case against Berger is weak.
“After hearing the testimony, we believe it’s obvious the commonwealth has an animus against Mr. Berger,” Porter said. “Mr. Hootman was pretty candid about their relationship and that it had nothing to do with his business.”
Berger, who was fired from his role as police chief in May 2023, has other serious legal issues pending. He is awaiting trial, scheduled for June, on allegations he sexually assaulted a patient at a Donegal Township drug addiction treatment facility in April 2024.