Ex-Wabtec employee accused of pocketing over $96,000 by selling copper stolen from plant
A former Wabtec employee fired in September admitted to continuing to visit the Lawrence Park Township plant after he was let go, according to the Pennsylvania State Police.
During those visits, state police allege in a criminal complaint filed in early February, Mark A. Kingsley confessed to stealing hundreds of pounds of copper on numerous occasions, which investigators determined was sold out of state as scrap for more than $96,000.
Kingsley, 47, of Waterford, was arraigned Monday on charges including 20 felony counts each of burglary, criminal trespass and theft of secondary metal in the Wabtec thefts. He also faces drug charges after investigators said they found suspected fentanyl, methamphetamine and marijuana in his truck when he was detained on Wabtec property on Feb. 4, according to information in his criminal complaint.
Kingsley remained in the Erie County Prison Thursday on $50,000 bond. He is tentatively scheduled to appear before Lawrence Park Township District Judge Lisa Ferrick for his preliminary hearing on March 20, according to case documents.
A lawyer for Kingsley was not listed on his case documents.
Theft spree probe and plant confrontation
According to state police, troopers were investigating a string of burglaries at various storage facilities in the Erie area and numerous metal thefts from Wabtec when Kingsley was developed as a possible suspect. That information was relayed to the security manager of Wabtec on Feb. 2, and information gathered indicated Kingsley was a former Wabtec employee, according to information in the affidavit of probable cause filed with Kingsley's criminal complaint.
State police learned from the security manager that officials had been investigating copper thefts from Building 6 at Wabtec for about three months, and it was believed Kingsley was utilizing his old identification badge to gain access to the property, the investigating trooper wrote in the affidavit.
On Feb. 4, state police were told officials at Wabtec had detained Kingsley on plant property. When the investigating trooper arrived at the plant, Kingsley's Chevrolet Silverado was parked just outside Building 6, the trooper wrote in the affidavit.
State police said Kingsley gave consent to search the truck. Found in the search were numerous scrap metal receipts, checks, and suspected drug items consistent with narcotic sales including suspected fentanyl, methamphetamine and marijuana, according to information in the affidavit.
Kingsley was taken to the state police station in Lawrence Park. During an interview, the trooper wrote that Kingsley confessed to taking over 200 pounds of copper at a time from Wabtec on 20 separate occasions. Kingsley also stated he was fired from Wabtec just after Labor Day and knew he was not allowed on the property, according to the affidavit.
Investigators said they contacted two metal recycling plants in New York and obtained information that Kingsley sold metal from Wabtec for $96,497.43 over the course of several months.
Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNhahn.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Ex-Wabtec employee charged with stealing, selling copper from plant
