ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio -- A police chief accused in connection with a celebrity surrogate scandal took the stand in his own defense Friday.

Martins Ferry Police Chief Barry Carpenter was expected to be the only witness to testify on what could be the last day of the trial, then the case could likely go to the jury.

Carpenter is accused in connection with a conspiracy to take items from a woman who acted as a surrogate mother for the twins of Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick. He is accused of trying to sell items stolen from the surrogate's Martins Ferry home and faces 21 1/2 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

---

Images: Barry Carpenter Trial

---

Carpenter, 40, became a police officer in 1992. He testified that he researched Michelle Ross on an Ohio law enforcement Web site after he learned she was the surrogate for the celebrity couple's twins.

Several days later, he was on routine patrol when he saw Ross' basement door was open. He said he looked in the window and the house had no furniture in it. He announced that he was a police officer and asked if anyone was there. When there was no response, he scanned the basement and entered the home.

Carpenter said he saw a surrogacy file that was lying on top of a desk. He said he looked inside the file and said he saw two ultrasound pictures. He also said he saw a plaster cast of a pregnant stomach in an upstairs bedroom.

He said he took a photo of the cast and the surrogacy file, the second of which did not turn out because it was too dark. He contacted the water department and told a worker that it was the second time police had been at the home and wanted to contact the property owner. He said he left the home, but the door would not lock.

That same day, he said Bridgeport Police Chief Chad Dojack called him multiple times and said "tabloid people" were staying at Dojack's father-in-law's hotel. Carpenter said he told Dojack it did not appear Ross was in Martins Ferry and said the photographers were wasting their time.

Carpenter said he and his girlfriend were getting ready to go to his son's baseball game when Dojack called and asked him to come to the Bridgeport Post Office. Carpenter complied and said tabloid photographers were there with Dojack.

"I walked up and the first thing I told them is, 'You’re wasting your time," Carpenter said.

Carpenter said there was no discussion about selling any items and he told the photographers if they wanted Ross' address he could get that like anyone else.

He said he told them he saw a surrogacy file and that it appeared someone had packed up and left the Martins Ferry home. He told them he had no items, but showed them a cell phone photo of the belly cast. "Were you and Chad Dojack messing with these photographers?" defense attorney Dennis McNamara asked.

"Absolutely," Carpenter replied.

Carpenter said he showed the cell phone photo to many people, including other police officers. He said Dojack called him and said paparazzi photographers were offering money for the photo.

Carpenter then consulted with Belmont County Prosecutor Chris Berhalter and Carpenter deleted the photo because he "felt uncomfortable" and "disenchanted" with the whole situation.

He said Berhalter told him, "You don't want to involve yourself in this."

On May 28, while Carpenter was in Hilton Head, S.C., for a friend's wedding, he received a call from a state investigator, which he said came as a surprise to him. Prior to that, he said he had no idea an investigation was under way and he said he answered every question the agent asked him. In a subsequent phone call, Carpenter agreed to meet with the agent and said he would cooperate 100 percent with the investigation.

During cross-examination, Harrison County Prosecutor Shawn Hervey showed Carpenter a transcript of Carpenter's phone conversation with the agent and brought up the fact that Carpenter used the Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway Web site to research Ross.

Carpenter said much of his work is administrative, but he did go on patrol on May 13, when he saw Ross' door open. Carpenter said he was not dispatched to the home and had not received any complaints from neighbors about news media. Carpenter said he received information about the home from another police officer.

He said he called the water department because he was in need of a phone number to contact someone about the door being open.

Carpenter said he entered the home because he was checking on the home. He denied that he sifted through Ross' personal items, but admitted he opened the file marked "surrogacy file."

When Hervey asked him why he opened the file, Carpenter said it was "just of general interest."

When asked if he ever took anything out of Ross' home, Carpenter said no.

Thursday, the woman at the center of the scandal took the stand. Michelle Ross, who served as the surrogate, testified she moved out of her Martins Ferry home in May.

Ross said she was planning to return to her home when she was contacted by a celebrity photographer who told her people were trying to sell her personal items.

She further testified that items were misplaced in her home, and ultrasound photos and tax information were missing.

Thursday, the jury listened to audiotape conversations between Carpenter and an investigator from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation.

On the tapes, Carpenter said he received a call from Dojack , who told Carpenter that photographers wanted to pay for information about Ross.

Carpenter said he consulted with Prosecutor Chris Berhalter about the conversation and said he wanted nothing to do with the photographers.

Dojack was also charged in connection with the alleged theft and will be tried separately on Jan. 12. Dojack stepped aside as Bridgeport chief while he deals with the charges. He is accused of conspiring to break into the home in order to take items that could be sold to the tabloid publications.

Charges were previously dismissed against Bruce Callarik, who owns the motel where the celebrity photographers were reportedly staying. Callarik is the son of the Bridgeport mayor and also Dojack's father-in-law. He faced the least severe charge: one count of receiving stolen property. The prosecutor said it would be better to use Callarik as a witness so he can cooperate fully and openly with the ongoing investigation.

NEWS9's Allison Latos is in the courtroom will report on the latest developments as the trial moves forward.