Waynesburg man sentenced on theft from gas well site
WAYNESBURG – A Waynesburg man who pleaded guilty to stealing a utility trailer that contained a pipe fusing machine and tools valued at $47,000 was sentence last week.
Levon J. Reggetz, 40, of 106 Coal Lick Lane, was charged in connection with the March 2015 theft of a utility trailer from a natural gas well site in Greene Township. He pleaded guilty May 4 to two counts of theft and one count of criminal conspiracy.
Greene County Judge Lou Dayich sentenced Reggetz to 24 to 48 months in prison. Dayich determined he was eligible for the state’s Recidivism Risk Reduction Incentive program, which will reduce his minimum prison sentence to 18 months.
He also was given credit for time served. Reggetz has been in jail since Dec. 11. Dayich did not impose a fine, but ordered him to pay $3,700 in restitution.
Reggetz and Michael Phillips, 26, of 1530 Morris St., Waynesburg, stole equipment belonging to West Penn Energy Service LLC from an ECA Corp. well site off Garards Fort Road between March 20 and 23, 2015.
State police learned Phillips had been attempting to sell a pipe fusing machine. He was contacted by an undercover state trooper and affirmed he had the machine for sale.
Phillips was arrested March 26, 2015 in the parking lot of the New Freeport Post office, where the undercover trooper had arranged to meet him to purchase the machine. The trailer and fusing machine were recovered.
Phillips told police he and Reggetz had stolen the trailer and attempted to sell the machine at several pawn shops in West Virginia.
Phillips pleaded guilty last July and was sentenced by President Judge Farley Toothman to 1 to 5 years in state prison. He, too, was deemed eligible for the Recidivism Risk Reduction Incentive program, which reduced his minimum prison sentence to nine months.