Man charged in construction equipment thefts

A Kingsley man faces charges following a Pennsylvania State Police investigation into stolen heavy duty construction equipment.

William Weida, 25, is accused of taken three pieces of taken from two storage lots located in Harford Twp. and Scranton in Lackawanna County. Equipment taken included a Caterpillar (CAT) D3 Bulldozer, a CAT 963 Loader/Crawler, and a Bobcat 341 Excavator.

According to the report, Weida had been identified as the prime suspect and was interviewed by police. In the initial interview, Weida offered a fictitious written confession that implicated a Kirkwood, N.Y., man, saying the equipment was located at the victim’s residence.

On Aug. 23, the CAT 963 and Bobcat 341 were recovered from the Kirkwood property. The whereabouts of the CAT D3 remain unknown.

The Kirkwood man told police that Weida had been actively selling the equipment on various social media platforms and that is where he contacted him to purchase the items. According to the victim, Weida had posted ads for the pieces throughout a two-month timeframe and he was able to provide evidence that implicated Weida.

The victim told police he was unaware the machinery was stolen and had been given the false impression that Weida owned the equipment.

On Aug. 25, Weida was taken into custody by police for questioning and he admitted to previously writing a false statement.

Charges filed against Weida in Clifford District Court include felony theft, unauthorized use of motor vehicles, unsworn falsification to authorities, and false report. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Oct. 1.