Two men accused of breaking into a Marshall bar and taking more than $24,000 from gaming machines each pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct charges Wednesday, July 30, according to court records.
Patrick Adam O’Malley, 28, of Shaler and Ryan Joseph Stermon, 44, of Pine were each required to pay about $14,000 in restitution to the Brush Creek Inn on Northgate Drive, plus fines and court costs, court records state.
Felony charges of burglary, criminal trespass, criminal conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property and a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief were withdrawn against each man.
Stermon’s attorney, Casey Mullen, confirmed the resolution of the case but said he had no additional comment.
Anthony Erlain Jr., representing O’Malley, could not be reached for comment.
A representative of the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office could not immediately be reached.
With the original charges Northern Regional police filed on July 17, police said O’Malley and Stermon broke into Brush Creek Inn after it had closed early on May 12 and used hand tools to open five gaming machines, taking $24,252 in cash.
The owner of the machines, H. Lazar & Sons, said repairing the machines would cost almost $1,500, according to the criminal complaints against the men.
Police said O’Malley and Stermon are acquaintances, and that Stermon was a regular at the bar who was there the night of May 11.
Police said a pickup registered to O’Malley was seen on cameras in the area of Brush Creek Inn at the time of the burglary. Two people whose builds match O’Malley and Stermon were seen on cameras getting out of the truck and walking toward the business, forcing their way inside and into the gaming machines, and running back to the truck.
Following the burglary, police said O’Malley was at the bar and told investigating officers he had information about similar recent thefts in Butler County. Police used the cellphone number O’Malley gave them to further track his movements and contact with Stermon, according to the criminal complaint.
Brian C. Rittmeyer, a Pittsburgh native and graduate of Penn State University’s Schreyer Honors College, has been with the Trib since December 2000. He can be reached at brittmeyer@triblive.com.
Categories: Allegheny | Local | North Allegheny | Pine Creek Journal | Shaler Journal
