CLEARFIELD, Pa. — A Hyde man will spend up to six years in state prison for his part in the theft of a motorcycle and for access device fraud.
During sentencing court on Monday, President Judge Paul E. Cherry sentenced Tyler Jon Timko, 36, to nine months to six years in state prison for felony theft by unlawful taking, misdemeanor loitering and prowling at nighttime in one case, misdemeanor unauthorized use of a motor vehicle in a related case and felony access device fraud in a third case.
Timko must pay $551.88 in restitution.
Judge Cherry also gave him a parole violation term of at least 122 days before he is eligible for re-parole.
According to the affidavits of probable cause in the first two cases, on July 25, 2025, police received a report of a motorcycle valued at $4,000 being stolen from a driveway. The victim had surveillance cameras and the footage showed someone exiting the passenger side of a white sedan at 4:06 a.m. The suspect approached the motorcycle, but then the video cut out.
Police traced the car to a woman who said she had lent the vehicle to Timko and Douglas Wayne Taylor, Jr., 37, of Waynesburg, for $200 in cash. Even though they said they needed it for only a few hours, they did not return it until the next day. When they did, they had a motorcycle in the back seat, she told authorities.
Police said they explained to her first that they found it along the road, but both changed their stories, leading her to believe they were lying. Damage to the car occurred when they tried to put it in the trunk but ended up forcing it into the back seat, they said.
She reported that they pulled the motorcycle which was missing its front tire into her garage where they worked on the bike for two hours.
She said her backseat was ripped and the paint on the car had been damaged. A trooper noted that there were also scratches and red paint transfer near the trunk.
Police spotted the motorcycle on July 29 in Lawrence Township with Timko riding it. Someone had reportedly removed the side plastics, mirrors, and registration plate from the bike. The suspects allegedly drilled out the ignition, and the cycle now could only be started with a screwdriver, police said. A query of the vehicle identification number revealed it was the stolen motorcycle.
Timko claimed he had borrowed the bike from Taylor, and he was just test driving it before possibly buying it for $500, he told police.
According to the affidavit in the third case, the victim reported in August that she noticed several withdrawals from her bank account that Timko had completed. She explained that Timko was doing odd jobs for her in June and July 2025. While he was doing this, she asked him if he could fix her phone and he said he could. It was a couple of days later that she first noticed her bank account was “off.” She requested printouts of her accounts which included multiple transactions via a Cash App by Timko.
She told police she only ever used the application to send money to her grandson.
In all, there were 24 transactions not authorized by the victim totaling $551.88.
On June 29, a jury acquitted Taylor of felony theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property as well as misdemeanor loitering and prowling at nighttime for the theft of the motorcycle, according to a court employee.
