Manager stole $275,000 from local pet store, police say
By Mark Leberfinger, mleberfinger@altoonamirror.comAn Altoona man stole more than $275,000 in items from a Logan Township pet store between April 2005 and August, township police said Tuesday.
The plot unraveled when an assistant store manager caught George E. Peznola with dog food and a dog collar concealed under gravel in kitty litter buckets Aug. 8, a criminal complaint filed by Detective Sgt. David Hoover stated.
The theft case is the largest Chief Ron Heller says he can remember during his 34 years in the Logan department.
Peznola, 40, of 1404 First Ave., was the receiving manager at SuperPetz in the Park Hills Plaza. He doesn't have a listed telephone number and couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday. A message left with a SuperPetz spokesman wasn't returned Tuesday.
Peznola's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday before Magisterial District Judge Steven D. Jackson.
Peznola admitted to stealing the items and reselling them on eBay as a way to stem personal financial problems, police said. When he got caught up with the bills, Peznola's wife, who wasn't aware the items were stolen, thought it was a good way to make extra cash and said they should continue selling them for extra cash, police said.
"He stated they were making extra money and he just could not tell her the truth, so it continued until he got caught," Hoover wrote in his complaint.
After getting caught, Peznola was ordered to turn over his keys to the store and any merchandise he had at home. He complied and also offered to make $30,000 restitution, which he never did, police said.
State police at Hollidaysburg assisted with the investigation.
Trooper Kevin Garhart, a computer fraud investigator, was able to get a court order and obtain information about the eBay account Peznola used.
"They have more access, especially in investigating Internet crimes, through the programs they have than we do," Heller said.
The help is offered to any department that requests it, Troop G spokesman Trooper Jeff Petucci said.
Peznola is charged with theft by unlawful taking or disposition and receiving stolen property, both felonies. He is free on $25,000 unsecured bail.
Mirror Staff Writer Mark Leberfinger is at 946-7462.
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1966254
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01-08-09 5:16 PM
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You know what the job pays when you accept it. If you do not think it is enough look elsewhere, or get a second job. If Altoona does not have the jobs that pay what you want you can relocate. Others relocate everyday to better themselves. Times are tough, all the manufactures have left Altoona, do not think the retail jobs that we have here can afford to pay more.
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orlandobob
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01-08-09 4:38 PM
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Well they keep delaying mikes court date--its been 3 years now, at best buys.
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DEREK28
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01-08-09 12:04 PM
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yea two area swap shops got busted awhile back for selling stolen items on ebay and ofcourse buying stolen items from people..... krazy hazys on 7th ave and 3rd street and also best buys up by the jr high school
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retiredarmy20years
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01-08-09 9:51 AM
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This person is not the first to think of selling stolen property on eBay. Do a, "Google" search on, "stolen goods being sold on eBay". This has been going on for years. The earliest that I found was stolen MRE's being sold on eBay back in 2002.
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42Employlaw1981
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01-08-09 8:54 AM
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Suzy is correct. The crime of recieving stolen property is a "specific" intent crime, meaning you must have known or should have known that the items you bought from Ebay were stolen. It's almost impossible to prove in Ebay type cases, because the point of Ebay is to get a good deal (i.e. buy for considerably less than on Ebay). Kudos for the guy of thinking of the plan.. Shame on him for actually executing it.
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42Employlaw1981
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01-08-09 8:50 AM
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This case will be easy for the prosecution. Show evidence that the store is missing items and match them with what was sold on Ebay account. Then he will required to pay restitution in the amount of goods "actually" stolen by the defendant, plus some jail time I would suspect.
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mocus1
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01-08-09 1:05 AM
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Make him eat a kitty litter sandwich (used that is)
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DEREK28
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01-07-09 8:10 PM
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i know this has nothing to do with this post.... but has anyone heard anything else about the " Antinino P. Brancato " Case ???
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SuzyBlog
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01-07-09 7:15 PM
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No, Derek28, if people didn't know that stuff was stolen, then they can't be charged. If they knew it was stolen and purchased it anyway, then yes they can be prosecuted IF the DA in their city, county, state, can prove without a doubt they knew the items were stolen.
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Spinaltap32
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01-07-09 7:07 PM
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I get a kick out of people that cry about the wages in our area. There ARE good paying jobs...for those who CHOOSE to be the best at what they CHOOSE to be. Everyone has the ability to change the situations they're in...everyone. It's all in the way you treat the people around you and how apply yourself to the job. If your truly one of the best, the money will come.
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DEREK28
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01-07-09 2:25 PM
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now i was wondering can the police track down his sellers information and see all the people who bought the items and get them for recieving stolen property ???
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DEREK28
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01-07-09 2:24 PM
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i was wondering why the shipping on my dog bone from EBAY came within hours to my door after i ordered it hmmm LOL
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TheGluv
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01-07-09 2:19 PM
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A big box retailer such as Toys R Us pays store managers around $55,000 per year. It all depends on the volume of sales. Mall based retailers in Altoona pay Store manager between $35,000-40,000. Assistance make considerable less, more like $25,000-30,000 for big box. The recieving manager was only making around $12.00 per hour at Super Petz. Unfortunately I worked in alot of retail management roles in Altoona.
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Miller
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01-07-09 1:27 PM
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If he had the extra time to list all the items he stole on E-Bay, he had time to work an additional, part-time job. I'm sure he spent hours listing these items, etc., which takes time and is a job in itself. There is no excuse for what he did and he should be punished accordingly. I work a full time job and also work partime during tax season in another local office. I could do without the second job, but they trust me and that "trust" means alot in today's society.
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KlausVR
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01-07-09 12:37 PM
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"... its not bad." As opposed to what? And I'm guessing that in this area they make on the low end of that "average' scale ... more like $18-22,000. Now out of that, they have to pay for their health care, all their living expenses, AND put away for retirement. Hmmm ... welfare is looking better and better. And, believe it or not, MANY stay on welfare (especially single moms and such with dead-beat exes) HAVE to stay on it to have basic security for themselves and their children.
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CharlieVarrick
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01-07-09 12:35 PM
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How could anyone possibly get away with stealing $275,000 for this long without being noticed. You mean to tell me this much inventory can be pilfered and not noticed? Come on, something smells fishy to me.
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cuff0367
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01-07-09 12:08 PM
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it is not alot of money but when most jobs around here are $7.15 and hour its not bad
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RobFan530
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01-07-09 11:59 AM
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day girl-- 22-35,000 is NOT a lot of money, you make it seem like that is big-time city wages. I bet the managers of many local stores make that.
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daygirl
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01-07-09 10:45 AM
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22,000-35,000 a year at Superpetz in Altoona? don't think so!! someone is dreaming!! Maybe in the big cities where people actually work for a living and don't lay around on welfare generation after generation, but not in Altoona would you make that kind of money at a Superpetz. Only people that make that kind of money and more are the franchise owners.
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KlausVR
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01-07-09 10:02 AM
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Basically, his life, at least in the short term, is ... (I have to do this) ... going to the dogs!
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RonRude
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01-07-09 9:29 AM
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Stealing from your employer because you don't make enough, is a slap in the face for those of us that don't STEAL. And to say that he will be charged with everything that anyone else has stole is wrong by what the article states, they are pulling his E bay record that will tell you how much he stole.Its all documented and hopefully he'll be put in Jail where he belongs when all is said and done.
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Bacchus
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01-07-09 9:23 AM
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I thought it was clever! Think about it: who would ever think to receiving clerk at pet store could be capable of this! Ingenious!
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jackinabox
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01-07-09 8:01 AM
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Hey Folks, Sure, what this guy did was wrong, and even He admitted it. He did offer to pay 30 grand back. Is that enough? Probably not, but this man will end up paying for every item that has been shoplifted out of that store since it opened......That's not exactly fair either. The fact that the store's own security failed to do their job, should not cost him the rest of the store's losses, because some crackhead or ****** addict needed a quick fix! I guess he should of thought about this before he did it though. Thanks for listening.
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retiredarmy20years
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01-07-09 7:34 AM
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If anyone is interested. The median expected salary for a typical Shipping and Receiving Clerk - Johnstown, PA 15901 is $22,013 - $35,096. swz.salary.c om/salarywizard/layoutscripts/swzl_salaryresults.asp?hdSearchByOption=0&hdSearchByOption=0&hdKeyword=Shipping and Receiving Clerk&hdJobCategory=MM02&hdZipCode=15901&hdStateMetro=&hdGeoLocation=Johnstown, PA 15901&hdJobCode=MM18000035&hdJobTitle=Shipping and Receiving Clerk&hdCurrentTab=&hdNarrowDesc=Materials Management
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Peteswife
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01-07-09 6:40 AM
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Decent job? Oh please! Making minimum wage or a little above that? People can't survive at these type of jobs. You put up with the rude, ignorant "I'm special" public all day. Clothes, hair, jackets, etc. smelling like a kennel/animal crap. Then you drag that smell on your person to your car and house. Just shopping in that store you come out smelling to high heaven like animal crap. People can't survive on crap jobs and people go through heck daily working these crap jobs. What he did was wrong, he knew better and he could have gotten educated/schooling to get a better paying job, but he chose to be a thief/take the easy way out. Don't say he had a "decent" job, in this town we all know better.
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