3 New Jersey men, suspected in multistate theft ring, charged with taking metal from Penn Township business

Renatta Signorini, Tribune-Review, Greensburg, Pa.
·2 min read

Jan. 16—Some quick thinking between a Penn Township police officer and a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher Saturday helped police arrest three New Jersey men who investigators believe may be part of a large theft ring.

A township policeman responded to an alarm at Hamill Manufacturing Co. at 3:20 a.m. Saturday and spotted the trio leaving in a pickup truck loaded with metal items valued at $120,000, according to court papers.

Authorities believe the suspects called an armed robbery on Route 22 into 911.

"We believe that phone call was a ruse to draw resources away from the burglar alarm to facilitate their escape," said Penn Township Police Chief John Otto. "This police officer and a dispatcher interrupted a multi-state organized theft operation."

Charged with conspiracy, theft, receiving stolen property and criminal trespass are Bobby Lucci, 27; Anthony M. Miguel, 30; and Marcello Miguel, 22. It was unclear from court paperwork if Anthony Miguel and Marcello Miguel are related. All three were denied bail and are being held at the Westmoreland County Prison.

They were leaving the Pleasant Valley Road business in a Dodge Ram when a township officer responding to the alarm stopped the pickup in the parking lot. The three men claimed to be working on a forklift and said they needed the items in the bed for the job, according to court papers.

An official with the business told investigators no one should be at the building.

Since the arrests, township police have been fielding calls from numerous agencies interested in searching the pickup, Otto said. Police are still trying to figure out the ownership of it.

"We've gotten multiple, a half dozen, phone calls from police departments that are interested in these three individuals and the vehicle they were using in this crime," he said.

The suspects gave police false names and dates of birth, according to court papers. They were eventually identified through fingerprints. None had attorneys listed in online court records. Preliminary hearings are set for Jan. 23.

Renatta Signorini is a TribLive reporter covering breaking news, crime, courts and Jeannette. She has been working at the Trib since 2005. She can be reached at rsignorini@triblive.com.