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HARRISBURG — An embattled DuBois metropolis official confronted extra costs Wednesday in a wide-ranging political corruption case wherein he allegedly stole a whole lot of 1000’s of public and nonprofit {dollars}.
Suspended Metropolis Supervisor Herm Sublizio now faces a complete of 23 felony costs — together with 13 felonies — that prosecutors have filed with the state Legal professional Normal’s Workplace. He was arraigned Wednesday in Clearfield County on $100,000 unsecured bail.
The costs Wednesday change and add to fifteen counts of theft, battle of curiosity and different crimes filed by prosecutors earlier this 12 months towards Suplicio, one of many metropolis’s most politically related officers.
At the moment, prosecutors alleged that Suplicio stole More than $600,000 From DuBois — a small metropolis positioned about two hours northeast of Pittsburgh — in addition to from nonprofit and different financial institution accounts over which he had signature management. In addition they stated he lied on his tax returns to get more cash from the federal government.
Within the up to date costs Wednesday, prosecutors revealed new details about a bag of cash allegedly hidden at a DuBois-affiliated nonprofit run by Suplicio. Courtroom paperwork on Wednesday additionally revealed beforehand undisclosed allegations that Suplicio inappropriately tried to assist the previous mayor escape shoplifting costs.
“As an alternative of appearing in the very best pursuits of the neighborhood he was purported to serve, the defendant used his place to line his personal pockets and abused his energy for private achieve,” State Legal professional Michelle Henry stated in a press release Wednesday. “This arrest is a reminder that nobody is above the legislation, and that everybody who holds public workplace in Pennsylvania is accountable to the folks.”
Neither Suplicio, 63, nor his attorneys responded to requests for remark.
Most of the new costs relate to A.J A bag containing approximately $94,000 in cash Which was delivered to Metropolis Corridor in early Could.
On the time, metropolis officers stated the cash was delivered in a present bag by Metropolis Legal professional Tony Cherry. Sherri has not publicly stated the place or how she obtained it, solely that it belonged to a fund related to the town’s annual summer season celebration, known as Neighborhood Days. Suplizio had a key position in organizing the pageant and managing the financial institution accounts related to the occasion.
The cash, it was later found, was saved on the DuBois United Approach District, the place Suplizio labored individually as government director.
In line with the brand new costs Wednesday, the cash was found in September of final 12 months by United Approach staff; It was wrapped in a inexperienced zip-top bag and positioned inside a protected within the constructing. When certainly one of these staff arrived on the protected two months later, the bag was gone.
Then, in March of this 12 months, whereas cleansing and eradicating uncovered tv cables inside United Approach, the identical worker found three metallic lock bins bolted to the partitions above ceiling tiles in one of many constructing’s workplaces, prosecutors allege. A number of days later, the worker seen “ceiling tile particles” on the ground, which led to the invention of a fourth lock field on high of the ceiling tiles.
The 4 keys equivalent to these lock bins have been discovered, in keeping with investigators, at Suplizio’s United Approach workplace.
Cherry, in keeping with investigators, instructed DuBois Metropolis Council members throughout a closed-door assembly in Could that Suplicio had introduced her the cash six weeks earlier, however stored it “to forestall the PA District Legal professional’s Workplace from confiscating it.” Nonetheless, when she was interviewed by the district lawyer’s workplace, investigators allegedly stated she didn’t bear in mind when Suplicio introduced her to her.
Cherry couldn’t be reached for touch upon Wednesday. She is just not going through any costs.
Individually, Suplicio faces costs associated to efforts he allegedly made to guard former Mayor DuBois from shoplifting costs in 2020. Courtroom paperwork on Wednesday revealed particulars of the shoplifting incident for the primary time.
In line with prosecutors, staff at a Sheetz retailer in DuBois reported that former Mayor Randy Schmidt was stealing meals. Workers stated Schmidt would come into the shop, order a sandwich, then acquire different gadgets equivalent to chocolate milk and fruit snacks whereas he waited. He allegedly paid for the sandwich and put the opposite gadgets in a bag with out paying for them.
Schmidt allegedly did this 16 instances earlier than he was confronted by a retailer worker who known as police.
In line with prosecutors, Suplicio known as Sheetz’s supervisor to ask if there was something that may very well be finished to “make this go away.” When the supervisor instructed him she could not, Suplizio allegedly instructed her that the shop had working relationship with the town and that it could be a “disgrace” if one thing occurred to alter that.
The alleged scheme didn’t work: Schmidt, who resigned as mayor, was later arrested On charges of theft. He couldn’t instantly be reached for touch upon Wednesday.
Extra particulars about Sublizio’s alleged crimes have been included in a presentation launched Wednesday together with court docket papers. The Legal professional Normal’s Workplace had beforehand refused to launch the doc to the general public for a number of months.
In mid-August, Highlight PA and three different information organizations I filed a petition with the district judge To disclose the presentation. The decide rejected the request.
The general public prosecutor’s workplace declined to debate the matter.
Min Xian of Highlight PA contributed reporting.
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