CLEARFIELD – A Luthersburg man charged for his involvement in stealing parts from R.J. Corman and selling them as scrap pleaded guilty Tuesday in Clearfield County Court.
Paul Allen Harris, 49, was sentenced by Judge Paul E. Cherry to 90 days to one year in jail and three years consecutive probation for criminal conspiracy-theft by unlawful taking, F3, and two counts of theft by unlawful taking, M1.
He has already paid restitution of more than $2,600 to CG Scrap Metal LLC in Osceola Mills but he still owes more than $12,400 to R.J. Corman.
His attorney, Douglas Campbell, stated it was the first time they had heard those numbers for R.J. Corman and said there will be a need for a restitution hearing to clarify this. All of the men previously sentenced in connection to this case have asked for a restitution hearing.
Prior to sentencing, Harris apologized to R.J. Corman Railroad and “everyone who works there.”
A representative of R.J. Corman stated that Harris was trusted by the company and the items taken were not scrap, but new parts needed by the business.
Harris was one of four employees of R.J. Corman charged with stealing railroad ties and other metal and selling them as scrap.
In January, Frank Edward Walls Jr., 49, Morrisdale, pleaded guilty to theft by unlawful taking, M1, and was sentenced by Judge Paul E. Cherry to 45 days to one year in jail and one year consecutive probation. He must pay more than $6,000 in restitution.
In October Michael Hummel, 48, 163 Palmer St., Clearfield, pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy/theft by unlawful taking, F3, and 10 misdemeanor counts of theft by unlawful taking. He received a sentence of 90 days to one year in jail and two years consecutive probation. He was ordered to pay more than $32,000 in restitution.
Hummel was accused of selling metal 12 different times. The total amount Hummel took was listed in his affidavit as 35,170 pounds.
In August Willis Leonard Hull Jr., 41, Clearfield pleaded guilty to 10 felony counts of theft by unlawful taking and 18 misdemeanor counts of theft by unlawful taking for similar thefts from R.J. 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.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Harris along with Hummel and Walls on Sept. 12, 2013, drove to GC Scrap Metal LLC in R.J. Corman vehicles loaded with railroad steel weighing a total of 23,010 pounds. They were each paid $997. The items were rails, tie plates, spikes and comp bars and had a higher value than just scrap metal.
According to Harris’s affidavit, in addition to his trip to the scrap yard with Hummel and Walls, Harris brought 11,820 pounds to the scrap yard on Dec. 14, 2013.
According to the affidavit of probable cause for Hull, he sold railroad steel as scrap on 23 different occasions. This steel was in the form of rails, tie plates, comp bars and spikes. This steel has significantly more value in its original form. Hull was paid more than $27,000 for the scrap steel.
In a previous session of court, John Sughrue, an attorney representing GC Scrap Metal LLC addressed the court, saying his client has a “significant issue” with the restitution in these cases. He noted that he asked for cash reimbursement in all four cases.
He stated that the metal seized by investigators was more than the men had sold to the scrap yard. He also commented that he did not understand why R.J. Corman was being reimbursed because the items were returned to them.
District Attorney William A. Shaw Jr. disagreed with Sughrue’s statements. He said they only took metal that was identified with the R.J. Corman name.
Assistant District Attorney Ryan Dobo also stated that they “did a lot of research on the restitution owed” in these cases.
