2 Hickory Twp. Officials Accused Of Stealing Gas
HICKORY TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- Two local officials are accused of stealing gas from their township.
Stewart Michaels has been a Hickory Township supervisor for a long time, but he denies ever stealing from the township.
Michaels and Ronald Mitcheltree are accused of stealing gasoline from township pumps for years.
Both were hauled off to jail on Friday in handcuffs, charged with stealing township property that was under their control.
They're accused of gassing up their personal cars at township tanks for several years.
State police watched the thefts on surveillance cameras, but Hickory Township Police Chief Mike Vitale says he saw it too.
"I talked to one of my officers about it. I said, 'I think one of our supervisors is putting gas in their vehicle.'
"And he said, 'Well, I've caught him a couple times too,'" Vitale said.
They changed the locks on the township buildings Friday in fear of the two commissioners may come back after posting $1,000 bond.
Bill Dean, also a Hickory Township supervisor, said he had to turn his colleagues in.
"I mean, to actually witness it and that bothered me a great deal," Dean said. "What's right is right and what's wrong is wrong."
The two accused supervisors have a preliminary hearing on May 19th.
