2/3/18 – Pottsville, PA – An Intern Stole Keys From The Schuylkill Sheriff’s Office – Steals Sheriff’s Office Patrol Car – Takes It To Penn State Hazelton Campus – Arrested

www.republicanherald.com

An intern with the Schuylkill County Sheriff’s Office was arrested by Pottsville Police Wednesday and charged with stealing a Schuylkill County Sheriff’s vehicle.

Pottsville Police Patrolman Braden Jones charged Bryan Bascombe, 23, of Brooklyn, New York, with felony theft of a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property and theft regarding the key to the vehicle.

Bascombe was arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge David Rossi, Tremont, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post $20,000 straight cash bail.

Pottsville Police Chief Richard F. Wojciechowsky said officers were called to the Schuylkill County Courthouse around 7:15 p.m. to speak with a sheriff’s deputy concerning a stolen sheriff’s department vehicle.

Through the subsequent investigation the chief said police learned that the Schuylkill County 911 Center was contacted by a police lieutenant from the Penn State Hazleton Campus who reported there was a marked Schuylkill County Sheriff’s Department vehicle on the property and asked the reason why it was there.

Subsequently, Wojciechowsky said it was determined that no one had authorization to be in that area at that time with a Schuylkill County car.

The chief said that a representative from the sheriff’s office advised officers that Bascombe was an active intern with their department and that he was also a student at Penn State Hazelton Campus.

Upon checking the sheriff’s fleet of cars one of the vehicles was found to be recently used despite all employees being away from work since 4 p.m.

It was also confirmed that Bascombe had been participating in his internship that day and had been inside the sheriff’s office at the Schuylkill County Courthouse, Wojciechowsky said.

Based on the information received Wojciechowsky said Penn State Hazleton Police were requested to make contact with Bascombe while Pottsville Police drove up to Luzerne County to speak with him.

Bascombe was subsequently interviewed by Jones and Pottsville Police Patrolman Paul Olson and admitted to taking the keys to the vehicle without anyone’s knowledge while he had been in the sheriff’s department offices that day and then taking the marked vehicle back to campus with him around 4:15 p.m.

Wojciechowsky said that after driving around the campus and speaking with some students while in the car, Bascombe decided to return the car to the Schuylkill County courthouse lot and retrieve his personal vehicle.