CLEARFIELD – A Clearfield man accused of stealing over $13,000 worth of equipment from PPL Gas waived his right to a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.
James Troxler, 20, is charged with burglary, criminal trespass, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and criminal mischief.
According to court records officers in the Clearfield Borough Police department were called to PPL on Technology Drive on Sept. 10 concerning a burglary. Police spoke with an employee who told them that a window from one of the garage doors at the rear of the building had been removed.
Officers investigated and found what appeared to group of human hairs located in the sealant around the empty window. Hand and fingerprints were also found and processed.
The hairs and fingerprints were sent to the state police crime lab in Erie for DNA testing.
On Sept. 11 an inventory of stolen objects was reported to police. Around $13,300 worth of equipment was missing.
On Sept. 27 the Erie crime lab reported that the hairs were of an unknown human. The hairs were then sent to another lab where a match was found in the convicted offender and prior casework profiles database.
The match came back for Troxler regarding a conviction in Florida. Police found Troxler, called him and asked him to come in for questioning.
The defendant was read his Constitutional warnings and admitted to the burglary. He told police that he was highly intoxicated on the night in question. He said he pulled the window away and entered the building.
Troxler told police that he had a couple of the items, which he returned, and that he gave the rest to someone else. That person was contacted and returned the items to police.
Troxler is free on unsecured bail.