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Town Supervisor Mark Scheidelman is friends with two men who are under investigation for their role in an attempted theft of copper pipes from the town’s recycling center, he said Wednesday.
Because of his personal relationship with the men, Scheidelman said he has told authorities and other members of the Town Board that he will not be involved in deciding whether to pursue criminal charges against them, a choice the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office has said must be made by town officials.
Scheidelman declined to elaborate on the allegations or say how the men entered the Veterans Way facility. Scheidelman said he didn’t want to “taint anything either way.”
The supervisor said that after an investigator questioned him at his home the night of the alleged thefts, he called a member of the Town Board and “immediately decided to take myself out of the picture.”
Scheidelman said he did not remember when the alleged incident occurred. He said the men, who he declined to identify, are not employees of the town.
Sheriff’s Capt. Richard Antanavige did not return a call Wednesday seeking more information about the case.
At a Town Board meeting after the alleged incident occurred, Scheidelman said he believed the matter was discussed, but he wasn’t present.
“I said ‘I need to excuse myself,’” and left the room, he said.
He also said the town has received reports of larcenies from the recycling center occasionally. In March 2010, a town employee accused of taking copper pipes resigned, as well as ticketed and fined, Scheidelman said
The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an attempted larceny that occurred at the Trenton Town Recycling Center sometime in mid-to-late December
Sheriff’s officials have said a deputy responded to an incident at 250 Veterans Way in which at least one person was believed to be stealing copper piping. The exact date of the incident was not immediately available.
Capt. Richard Antanavige said Town Supervisor Mark Scheidelman is aware of the incident and that it will be up to him and other town officials to decide whether or not to pursue charges against the individual involved.
The individual’s name was not released Tuesday, but he or she is known to town officials and reportedly was not trespassing at the time of the incident.
“We took the complaint against an employee of the recycling center, and it turns out Mr. Scheidelman gave the individual permission to be there,” Antanavige said.
Scheidelman could not be reached for comment Tuesday.