REYNOLDSVILLE, Pa. (EYT) – A Reynoldsville man is facing felony theft charges after his employer discovered that he allegedly stole company items and sold them online.
Court documents indicate the Reynoldsville Borough Police Department filed criminal charges against 50-year-old Mark Allen Marshall, of Reynoldsville.
According to a criminal complaint, around 9:00 a.m. on December 28, 2017, Officer Murray, of the Reynoldsville Borough Police Department, received a voicemail from an employee of Utilities and Industries. He said they had an employee, Mark Marshall, who they believed was taking items from their facility and posting them for sale on eBay. Officer Murray asked the employee to come to the station and file a report.
Utility Company Employees Interviewed
The employee arrived at the station with two others – an employee from human resources and the plant manager. The human resources employee stated that on December 22, she got the mail out of the mailbox at Utilities and Industries, and there was a red envelope that looked like what she believed to be a Christmas card addressed to the CEO; however, there was not a return address on the envelope. She placed the envelope on the CEO’s desk.
On December 27, the CEO opened the red envelope and found a letter stating, “Your employee Mark Marshall is making a comfortable 2nd income off of your company and you might want to check because I believe you are paying for the shipping.” The letter also contained a printout of eBay User ID mmar9492 containing items listed for sale that are what they believed to be the property of Utilities and Industries.
The CEO called the plant manager into his office and handed him the red envelope and asked him to look at what was inside. The plant manager opened the envelope and saw pictures of gas meters that were manufactured at Utilities and Industries, as well as fittings and a remote reader module that they sell at Utilities and Industries.
At that point, they went on eBay and searched “gas meters” and found several other items listed that they have in their facility for sale by eBay user ID mmar9492 located in Reynoldsville, Pa. The original caller stated at that point, they decided to contact the police.
Employees Provide Officer Murray with List of eBay Items from Utility Company
The employees provided Officer Murray with a printout of eBay user ID mmar9492 containing items from Utilities and Industries including a Rockwell R-275 PSI MAOP Residential Gas Meter containing an identification tag that was placed on the meter at their plant, indicating it was from Utilities and Industries.
On December 28, Officer Murray used leadsonline, an online resource for law enforcement that partnerships with eBay and makes it possible for law enforcement to locate potentially stolen merchandise listed on eBay. Through this resource, Officer Murray was able to do an eBay user ID search on user ID mmar9492. The search revealed the user to be Mark Marshall from Reynoldsville, Pa., according to the complaint.
Based on the identifying information found, Officer Murray was able to obtain a search warrant.
Search Warrant Issued for eBay User
On January 2, 2018, Officer Murray served the search warrant, and on January 9, she received confirmation from eBay that they were processing the search warrant, and the user ID had been protected from deletion.
Around 10:00 a.m. on January 15, Officer Murray met with Mark Marshall at Utilities and Industries. She advised Marshall that she was investigating an employee theft and asked him if he knew what she was talking about. Marshall looked down and shook his head yes. Officer Murray asked Marshall if he was willing to come to the station and speak to her, and he agreed to do so, according to the complaint.
Marshall Interviewed at Police Station
The complaint states that once at the station, Office Murray showed Marshall a printout of eBay user ID mmar0402 and asked him if that was his account. He acknowledged that it was. He admitted that this theft started when he was trying to post an item for sale on Utilities and Industries eBay account, but somehow it posted to his personal account instead. He said at first, he did not realize that is what happened. He admitted that he only realized what happened when the money for the item showed up in his personal PayPal account. He realized then how easy it was and continued from there.
Officer Murray asked Marshall if he posted the item for sale from work, and he stated that he did all of that from home on his notebook. Officer Murray explained to Marshall that his notebook is evidence and asked if he would be willing to hand it over. Marshall said that would not be a problem. He stated he had gone through a tough divorce and money was tight. He informed the officer that the money he made from selling the inventory helped pay the bills and that is why he did it, according to the complaint.
Officer Murray Reviews List of Utility Company’s Items on eBay with Marshall
Officer Murray showed Marshall a list of items that he had posted for sale including a welder that sold for over nine hundred dollars. Marshall admitted that the items were all property of Utilities and Industries. Officer Murray asked Marshall how he shipped the items he sold. At first, he said that he printed labels out from home and shipped them out. Officer Murray asked what carrier he used, and he said mostly FedEx. She asked if he had a FedEx account, and he said he did.
She then pulled shipping records that were provided by Utilities and Industries showing that some of the packages were shipped through Utilities and Industries FedEx and UPS accounts. She explained to Marshall that they had already confirmed through his own admission that the items had been the property of Utilities and Industries and that he did take them and sell them on his personal account. Marshall acknowledged that was true. She also showed him on the shipping invoices where those same items were shipped using Utilities and Industries accounts. Marshall looked down and said, “I guess they were.” Officer Murray said, “There is no guessing, they either were or they were not,” and Marshall said, “They were.” Marshall also stated that he did not send everything from Utilities and Industries accounts, some of the things he did send out from his residence.
Officer Murray asked if he currently had any items belonging to Utilities and Industries at this residence, and he said he did. Marshall told the officer that they could go to his residence, and he would give them to her.
Marshall said he was probably going to get terminated. Officer Murray explained that was not up to her and told him she could tell them that he cooperated with the investigation, but the decision was up to his employer. Marshall asked if she could talk to them, and she advised him that she would contact them and see if that was something they were willing to do.
Utility Company’s Employees Return to Police Station During Marshall’s Interview
Officer Murray contacted Utilities and Industries and spoke to the first employee who contacted her. The same employees agreed to return to the station and listen to what Marshall had to say. They also advised the officer that they had some of Marshall’s personal property there, and they did not want him back on Utilities and Industries property. Officer Murray told them they could bring it with them. They also said Marshall had a company cell phone and a pickup truck that they would like to have back, and Officer Murray said they could ask when they arrived at the station.
Marshall Was Advised He Was Not Allowed Back on Company Property
The employees arrived and asked Marshall for the cell phone and keys to the truck, which he provided. Marshall then explained to them that he was sorry, and he did not mean to “screw them over.” Marshall stated that the first item he sold under his account was an accident, but then it just seemed easier from there. He explained that he took the items and sold them on eBay and kept the money to help him pay bills. He was then advised by the employees that he was not permitted back on Utilities and Industries property.
Officer Murray told Marshall that they brought his personal belongings from Utilities and Industries and asked if it would be okay with him if they headed to his residence since he had some things there belonging to Utilities and Industries. Marshall agreed.
Officer Murray, Utility Company Employees Accompany Marshall to His Residence
The employees accompanied Officer Murray and Marshall to his residence. The employees returned Marshall’s personal property to him, and Officer Murray went with Marshall into his residence to retrieve the items belonging to Utilities and Industries. Marshall had several tin meters and various other items belonging to the company.
After receiving the records from eBay, it was determined there was a total of 686 items belonging to Utilities and Industries totaling $21,581.63 that were sold by Marshall on eBay between April 2016 and January 2018.
There was a total of 154 items recovered from Marshall’s residence totaling $3,001.96, and there was a total of $586.20 in total shipping using Utilities and Industries FedEx and UPS accounts.
Total restitution is due to Utilities and Industries in the amount of $22,147.83. The total amount stolen was $25,149.79.
Marshall Arraigned, Preliminary Hearing Scheduled
Based on the investigation, Marshall was arraigned at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 27, in Magisterial District Judge David B. Inzana’s office on the following charges:
– Theft By Unlaw Taking-Movable Property, Felony 3
– Receiving Stolen Property, Felony 3
Marshall is currently free on $50,000.00 unsecured bail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 28, with Judge Inzana presiding.
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