A man has filed a federal lawsuit against the former Millvale police chief and the borough, claiming that he was illegally arrested and forced into pleading guilty.

Scott Goedicke, of Richland, alleges in his claim that Dean Girty, who was fired as chief in April 2007 in the midst of an internal investigation, had him arrested on charges of terroristic threats and harassment.

According to the lawsuit, Mr. Goedicke was with Mr. Girty's estranged wife, Nicola Girty, on July 24, 2006, when she called Mr. Girty to talk about their daughter. The two had an argument on the phone, and Mr. Goedicke says he took the phone from Ms. Girty and spoke to the then-police chief, who he claims had been disrespectful to Ms. Girty.

More than two months later, on Oct. 11, the chief obtained a warrant for Mr. Goedicke and had his officers arrest him, the lawsuit said.

"Chief Girty filed the aforementioned false report ... not due to purported threats and harassment by ... but rather, due to personal animosity toward plaintiff and in retaliation for plaintiff's relationship with Chief Girty's estranged wife, Nicola Girty," according to the lawsuit.

Mr. Goedicke spent four days in jail, where, he said, he had to sleep on the floor.

Later, the plaintiff claims, Mr. Girty forced him to plead guilty to the summary offenses by threatening to file additional charges against both Mr. Goedicke and Nicola Girty.

The lawsuit includes claims for civil rights violations, false imprisonment, abuse of process and invasion of privacy.

Millvale Solicitor Mike Witherel said he had not seen the lawsuit and therefore could not comment. He also would not say whether the former chief's termination was related to the dispute.

Mr. Girty, who was hired by the Millvale police department in 1989, could not be reached for comment.