It has been more than nine years since Strassacker signed a letter that federal prosecutors say was the genesis of a sophisticated fraud scheme that netted him $200,000.
It has been more than three years since the volunteer helicopter service that Strassacker dreamed into being has flown a mission. No one involved in the case thinks the rescue helicopters will fly again.
Strassacker has not flown a helicopter since 1985. By that time, his nonprofit organization, Emergency & Patrol Air Service (EPAS), was under scrutiny by investigators from the FBI and the U.S. General Services Administration.
Holding a memento of his flying days, a metal model of a Huey helicopter he once flew, Strassacker, 54, stared at the gift and said, "This really isn't a part of my life anymore."
His single-story home on County Line Road, is full of reminders of his police and piloting careers.
On a paneled wall of the den is a plaque from state narcotics agents praising him for his "outstanding, unselfish contributions" to drug enforcement.
On another wall is a photo of Strassacker in a helicopter cockpit, landing at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Delaware County, after one of the 500-plus missions EPAS flew.
And on a table is a present he got when he retired Sept. 16, the day after a jury in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia convicted him of illegally selling a government-surplus helicopter given to the emergency service and siphoning off $200,000 from the sale.
A clear plate bearing an impression of the design of Strassacker's police badge bears the words Honor Above All.
In a corner of the living room are two cardboard boxes with documents detailing the accusations that ended his career.
"Between my wife and I, it's been tough," Strassacker said softly. "Not argument-wise or anything like that. It's been a mental burden."
