A former Pittsburgh controller's office employee who pleaded guilty to forgery after being charged with stealing city checks now wants his pension.

Kim D. Platt, hired by the city in 1984 and charged in January with theft, forgery, receipt of stolen property and conspiracy, applied early this month for his pension.

The Municipal Pension Fund board may consider his application Thursday.

Mr. Platt, 52, of the Hill District, was charged along with Martha Hunter in the disappearance of 18 city checks totaling $5,101. Police got Ms. Hunter's bank records and an ATM surveillance camera image of Mr. Platt taken just one minute after a city check was deposited through the machine into Ms. Hunter's account.

Ms. Hunter was not a city employee.

In April, prosecutors and both defendants negotiated a guilty plea to forgery and a sentence of two years' probation plus $5,101 in restitution. Other charges were withdrawn.

Mr. Platt and Ms. Hunter also are supposed to pay some $1,400 in costs and fees. Nothing had been paid as of Friday, according to criminal court personnel.

Because he is not yet 60 years old, Mr. Platt would be, at best, eligible for a partial pension of $785 per month.

State law, though, bars the payment of pensions to public employees who are convicted of, or plead guilty to, a host of crimes including forgery. They can get their contributions back, without interest.

Mr. Platt would be eligible for the return of the approximately $30,000 he paid into the fund.

John Sibbet, chairman of the Municipal Pension Fund board, said he will have the fund's lawyer review Mr. Platt's application.

Controller Michael Lamb, who sits on the fund board, said he wants the $5,101 back.

"We're going to seek every possible means of getting the restitution money before he gets his pension money," he said.