FARMINGTON – A selectman in the Oxford County town of Hartford, David C. Bowen, 41, pleaded guilty to theft by unauthorized taking, a felony class C theft, last Friday in Franklin County Superior Court.

Bowen, a former warehouse manager for Jarden Home Brands on Munson Road in Wilton, paid restitution of $20,689 and was released on $1,000 unsecured bail on May 25. A deferred disposition will bring him back to court in 20 months, where he will be sentenced to serve seven days and pay a $5,000 fine if he completes the 20 months without any further criminal conduct.

Assistant District Attorney James Andrews told the court that Bowen had six checks, totaling $20,689, from Caswell Discount Wholesale Inc. in Waterville written out in his name during the period from December 2004 to May 2006. He deposited the checks in his local bank.

The checks were payment for six trailer truckloads of damaged products from Jarden Home Brands, according to an investigation by Wilton police. Bowen had no authorization to receive any payment or portion of payment from the transactions, police noted.

Bowen changed his plea to guilty following a plea agreement that dismissed one charge.