Parkside councilman stole 140

A Parkside borough councilman has been arrested in multiple retail thefts at the Brookhaven Lowe’s, including one in which he allegedly single-handedly removed a 140-pound griddle.

Robert A. Powers, 57, was initially arrested Thursday for the alleged retail theft of the griddle that occurred on July 14. Then, Friday evening, he was charged in three additional retail thefts at the same Lowe’s at 5005 Edgmont Ave.

Powers also serves as president of the Parkside Fire Company and is the borough’s fire marshal.

“It was pretty apparent,” Brookhaven police chief Michael Vice said regarding video of the July 14 griddle theft. “The evidence was pretty overwhelming.”

He explained that the delay between the incident and the arrest was because Lowe’s does a separate internal investigation before notifying the police, which they did.

Vice gave this account of what occurred:

“During the day, around 1:30 p.m. on the 14th, last Friday, he goes into the store, spends some time in the store,” Vice said. “At one time, he briefly leaves, then comes back.”

At that point, Powers was pushing an L-shaped flat cart into the store, according to the police chief.

“The item that he stole, they’re heavy,” Vice said of the 36-inch Blackstone griddle, which manufacturer specifications put at 140 pounds. “Basically, he goes back into the store and lifts it onto the cart.”

Vice said Powers then selected a smaller price item, an aluminum foil mechanism that catches grease, which was approximately $7.

“He goes over to a self-checkout,” Vice said of Powers. “He scans the smaller item and then makes no attempt to pay or scan the higher price item … He loads it into the back of his vehicle and then leaves.”

The Blackstone griddle retails for $499.

Vice said he applied for a search warrant July 20 and Powers was not initially at home when he arrived. Police found the griddle. Around 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Powers did turn himself into police.

The police chief said Powers told him he was out of state when Vice first came to his house.

Powers was then arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Robert M. D’Agostino and released on unsecured $10,000 bail.

The preliminary hearing for this matter is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 3 before Magisterial District Judge Georgia L. Stone.

Powers faces charges of retail theft, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.

Powers was arrested again shortly before 8 p.m. Friday at his residence after Brookhaven police received three additional theft cases involving him, again at the Lowe’s store.

Details on those items or their dollar value were not available. In the additional case, he faces three charges each of receiving stolen property and retail theft.

It was not clear when those alleged thefts occurred.

On Saturday morning, Powers was arraigned before District Judge Leon Hunter on the later cases.

Unable to post bail, he was committed to the George W. Hill Correctional Facility. A preliminary hearing on those charges is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 10 before Stone.

Vice said given the circumstances, he assigned Sgt. Ryan Eastman to the case.

“Sgt. Ryan Eastman, he’s just an incredible investigator as is,” the police chief said, as he praised all of his 14 officers “We’ve been in this constant state of growth for two years. I’m very proud of where this department is.”

Vice noted the challenge retail stores in Brookhaven and elsewhere are facing with thefts.

“It’s frustrating for us because we’re all aware of how high-priced items are, and it’s because people are stealing,” he said.

Vice said there’s another factor in this situation because it involves a public official.

“We are all held to a higher standard and he’s a political official,” Vice said. “Honestly, it gives all of us a bad name.”

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