CLEARFIELD CO., Pa. (GANT) – A Mahaffey man will be spending time in state prison for his part in a theft of over $5,400 from a PA Skills machine.
(This article was provided by our News Partner GantDaily.com.)
In February, Daniel Wetzel, 37; Stephanie Ann Mando, 43, of Olanta and Kris Nevling, 44, were all charged in connection to the theft at a store in Lawrence Township.
During sentencing court Monday, Wetzel pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy/theft by unlawful taking and was sentenced by President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman to 10 months to three years in state prison. He was ordered to pay over $1,500 in restitution.
In a second case, he pleaded guilty to false identification to law enforcement, possession of drug paraphernalia and disorderly conduct. He was given a concurrent period of incarceration of 90 days to one year in state prison.
In June, Mando was sentenced to serve nine months to three years in state prison for felony conspiracy/theft.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, an employee of the company that owns the machine noticed that the display screen on the machine had been pried open and cash removed.
A report indicated approximately $5,420 was missing from the device, which was in the back of the store.
Security footage shows three people were hanging out in that area for an extended period of time.
The first suspect was later identified as Nevling the second as Mando and the third as Wetzel.
In the footage, officers could see Nevling trying to open the contraption several times with Mando serving as a look out.
At one point, Wetzel and then Nevling exit the store while Mando is sitting at the machine, “holding its place from the general public.”
Nevling re-enters the store while holding his crotch area, which appears to hold a pry bar or a similar tool.
He goes to the bathroom before returning to the machine and Mando moves to allow him to sit there.
Nevling reportedly pulled the tool, which is visible in the security footage, from the left side of his pants.
Startled by other customers, Nevling puts the tool back down his pants and walks around, checking the windows. He then returns to the area and can be seen using the tool on the device.
The complaint states “he is pulling so hard you can see his weight shifting.”
He is interrupted again by customers while both Mando and Wetzel try to distract them.
At 6:43 p.m., he returns again to the machine while Mando keeps a look out. About five minutes later, Nevling can reportedly be seen stuffing his pockets.
Their suspicious activity continues with them leaving and returning to the same machine and removing items.
At 7:09 p.m., the footage shows the device’s screen door folded down and Nevling taking things from inside it, police said.
Eventually at 7:19 p.m., the three finally leave the business and the parking lot, traveling west on the Clearfield-Shawville Highway.
Nevling is charged with felony theft and receiving stolen property along with misdemeanor possessing instruments of crime and criminal mischief. His case is still pending.
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