CLEARFIELD – A Clearfield man accused of stealing metal from RJ Corman pleaded guilty Tuesday during sentencing court.
Michael Jesse Hummel, 47, 163 Palmer St., Clearfield, pleaded guilty to a felony count of criminal conspiracy/theft by unlawful taking and 10 misdemeanor counts of theft by unlawful taking.
Judge Paul Cherry sentenced him to 90 days to one year in jail and two years consecutive probation. He was fined $550 plus costs and he was ordered to pay more than $32,000 in restitution.
Prior to sentencing, a representative of RJ Corman addressed the court explaining that the items were worth more than just scrap metal. Hummel was questioned several times and asked to cooperate with the investigation but he wouldn’t give the others up, he said.
Hummel’s attorney, Frederick Neiswender, argued about the amount of restitution, and Cherry told him they can schedule a restitution hearing later.
Two of his co-defendants are still waiting to be sentenced.
The charges stem from incidents beginning in August of 2010 and ending September of 2013 while Hummel was employed by RJ Corman. According to the affidavit of probable cause, Hummel sold steel in the form of rails, tie plates, comp bars and spike as scrap metal 12 different times. The total amount he took was 35,170 pounds for which he received $4,164.30. During one occasion, Hummel had two other men with him, Frank Walls Jr. and Paul Harris, who were also employed by RJ Corman.
A fourth man, Willis Leonard Hull Jr., 40, Clearfield, pleaded guilty in September to 10 felony counts of theft by unlawful taking and 18 misdemeanor counts of theft by unlawful taking for similar thefts from RJ Corman that occurred between October of 2010 and October of 2013. He was sentenced to 90 days to one year in jail and four years consecutive probation. He was ordered to pay restitution of more than $164,600.
