Scrapper admits to theft

BY STACI WILSON

A 32-year-old Hallstead man admitted to stealing thousands of dollars worth of copper wiring and damaging machinery at a Great Bend Twp. manufacturing site on several occasions in October 2011.

Daniel Alicea pleaded guilty Friday in Susquehanna County Court on one felony theft by unlawful taking charge. He faces a maximum sentence of up to seven years in prison and a $15,000 fine on the count.

Alicea, along with co-defendant Patrick Moser, stripped copper wiring from the building and machinery at ECO International, Inc., headquartered in Vestal, N.Y.

Moser was sentenced in April 2012 to serve 11 to 23-1/2 months in prison for the thefts.

According to court documents, Moser told police he and Alicea broke into the facility about six times. The copper was sold as scrap and the money used to buy heroin.

At the time of their arrest, police reported that although the loss of copper was significant at about $4,000, Gregory Voorhees, of Eco International, said that the more expensive loss connected to the burglaries was the replacement of equipment damaged by the men.

At the time of his sentencing, Moser was ordered to pay $12,500 in restitution to ECO International.

District Attorney Jason Legg also reported that same restitution amount at Alicea’s plea hearing, along with over $2,000 in extradition costs to cover Alicea’s return to Susquehanna County to answer for the charge.

Alicea is scheduled to be sentenced by President Judge Kenneth Seamans on Jan. 24.

Others entering pleas in Susquehanna County Court on Friday, Dec. 28 include:

Howard Walter Jr., 43, Lawton, pleaded guilty to DUI in connection with a Jan. 14, 2012, incident in Dimock Twp.

James Beardsley Jr., 56, Montrose, pleaded guilty to DUI in connection with a Feb. 19, 2012, incident in Montrose Borough.

Joseph Scheland, 20, Hallstead, pleaded guilty to a felony county of criminal attempt – criminal trespass in connection with an attempted break-in at the Global Tobacco Outlet, Great Bend Twp., on Oct. 28, 2012.

Scheland also pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of theft in connection with an Oct. 28, 2012 incident in which he took a revolver from his grandfather’s residence and sold it for $30.

Jamie Beth Wilson, 33, Binghamton, N.Y., pleaded guilty to one felony count of delivery of a controlled substance in connection with an Oct. 25, 2011 incident in Great bend Twp. in which Wilson sold .42 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant for $70.

Julie Snedaker pleaded guilty to one count of theft by deception – false impression in connection with a May 11-12, 2012 incident in which she wrote bad checks to the Endless Mountains Pharmacy, Lenox Twp., for prescriptions. Snedaker has already made restitution of $292. She was sentenced to serve six months probation.

Antoinette Reim, 20, Montrose, pleaded guilty to one count of receiving stolen property in connection with a June 1 incident in Dimock Twp. in which she admitted to having possession of three rings that she believed to be stolen and selling them for cash in Binghamton, N.Y. Reim was sentenced to serve 15 months probation and ordered to pay $700 restitution to the property owner.

Randy Gregory, 23, South Montrose, pleaded guilty to one felony count of criminal trespass in connection with a June 23, 2012 break-in at Flynn’s Stone Castle, Rush Twp. where 35 cartons of cigarettes, valued at about $800 were taken from the store.