Hearing Slated for Tuesday for Franklin Man Charged with Theft of Scrap Metal

| March 3, 2019

CLARION CO., Pa. (EYT) – A Franklin man is facing a preliminary hearing on Tuesday on charges that were filed against him for allegedly stealing and selling scrap metal.

According to court documents, 23-year-old Brandon Michael Sanford, of Franklin, along with 24-year-old Dustin Lee Neyman, of Clarion, face charges stemming from a November 1 report of the theft of scrap metal at a location on Rehobeth Road in Strattanville, Clarion County.

Sanford and Neyman will stand for preliminary hearings on second-degree misdemeanor charges of Theft of Secondary Metal in Clarion County Court on Tuesday, March 5, at 10:00 a.m. with Magisterial District Judge Duane L. Quinn presiding

Both men were placed on ROR (released on own recognizance) following preliminary arraignments on January 4, 2019.

Details of the case:

According to a criminal complaint, around 4:54 p.m. on November 1, 2018, Trooper Jarrett, of the Clarion-based State Police, was dispatched to the scene.

Trooper Jarrett spoke to the victim who reported that on October 31, he noticed some scrap metal that was on his property had gone missing from the field. The victim described the metal to be seven hot water tanks, four cookstoves, two refrigerators, and a Kenmore air conditioner. The victim said he remembered seeing a black PT Cruiser driving in the area several times prior to noticing the scrap missing.

The victim called a scrap metal company in Corsica to see if anyone driving a black PT Cruiser had brought in scrap metal in the past few days. The victim was told that the vehicle had been there several times recently. The victim asked what kind of metals the vehicle had brought in and was given a description that matched the metal that had been stolen from his property.

According to the complaint, the victim was told there were two males in the vehicle; one was identified as Dustin Neyman.

Around 11:30 a.m. on November 4, Neyman voluntarily arrived at the Clarion State Police barracks to speak to Trooper Jarrett about the incident; he brought Brandon Sanford with him.

According to the complaint, when asked if he knew the owner of the property in question, Neyman said, “No.” He related that he and Sanford talked to “a homeless guy” on the property because he gave the guy a ride. When asked if the person said it was their property, Neyman again said, “No,” and claimed the homeless person said they could take the metal.

The complaint states that Neyman went on to say that he returned to the property the next day and took two stoves and one refrigerator off the property in his PT Cruiser. He then took the scrap to the Corsica business and received between $30.00 and $40.00 for it.

Around 11:46 a.m. on November 4, Trooper Jarrett interviewed Sanford.

According to the complaint, Sanford related that he and Neyman had only taken two freezers and a water tank and stated that he went to his father’s and got two stoves and a microwave to take in. Sanford confirmed that they received between $30.00 and $40.00 for everything.

Neyman and Sanford both provided written statements.

According to the complaint, Neyman and Sandford’s stories did not coincide, with Neyman stating they had taken two stoves and a refrigerator, while Sanford stated they had taken two freezers and a water tank. Sanford also stated that he had taken two stoves and a microwave from his father’s property, which were also items stolen from the victim’s property.

On December 21, Trooper Jarrett contacted the scrap metal company about the incident and spoke to an employee who indicated that he remembered Neyman and Sanford coming in a total of five times with scrap and receiving between $30.00 to $40.00 each time.


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