PORT CARBON - A 27-year-old Cressona man was jailed Tuesday after being arrested and charged with stealing more than $400,000 in aircraft parts from his employer.
Kevin M. Hook, whose last known address is 10 Chestnut St., was arraigned on one felony count each of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.
Hook was committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post 10 percent of $50,000 bail set by Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon.
State police Trooper John Sleboda Jr. of the Schuylkill Haven station charged Hook with stealing aircraft parts valued at $420,000 on Jan. 23 or 24 while he was a temporary employee of Hexcel Corp., 172 Industrial Park Road, East Norwegian Township.
Hook had been employed at the facility through the Manpower program since Dec. 12, 2011, Sleboda said.
Sleboda said the thefts came to light Jan. 25, when company officials noticed the items missing from their inventory.
Among the items missing were two machined bowed aluminum aircraft components, one machined straight aircraft component fixture and four other machined aircraft component fixtures valued at $60,000 each. Attempts Tuesday to reach Sleboda or officials from Hexcel Corp. to describe the stolen parts were unsuccessful.
Sleboda said company officials contacted local scrap metal businesses to look out for the items. On Jan. 23, the company received a phone call from Weiner's Iron and Metal, Pottsville.
Officials at the metal recycling business said that on Jan. 23, a man driving a gray minivan tried to sell the items but Weiner did not accept them. The company also provided photos and video of the man involved.
Precious Garrett, human resources manager for Hexcel, reviewed the photos and video and identified the man trying to sell the items as Hook, Sleboda said.
Garrett also said she spoke to Hook on the phone and he refused to pick up his last paycheck.
Sleboda said that when Garrett questioned Hook about the theft on the telephone, the man started crying and said he was ashamed of what he had done. Hook also told Garrett the stolen property is "stored in an alley," Sleboda said.
With this information along with physical evidence, Sleboda said an arrest warrant was obtained for Hook on Monday and on Tuesday, said Hook was found in front of a Pottsville hospital and taken into custody without incident.
Sleboda also said Hook confessed to the crime but the stolen items could not be found where the man said he had put them.
The investigation into the crime is continuing, Sleboda said.