Two men are accused of breaking into a Marshall bar and taking more than $24,000 from gaming machines.
With charges filed Thursday, Northern Regional Police said they identified Patrick Adam O’Malley, 28, of Shaler and his acquaintance, Ryan Joseph Stermon, 44, of Pine as persons of interest in their investigation of the May 12 burglary of the Brush Creek Inn on Northgate Drive.
That was based on their physical builds matching those of persons seen on surveillance video entering and leaving the bar, O’Malley’s pickup being seen nearby at the time of the burglary, and O’Malley’s phone calls to Stermon, which officers reviewed after O’Malley had voluntarily given them his phone number, police said in a criminal complaint.
According to the complaint, O’Malley and Stermon were captured on surveillance cameras forcing open a back door of the business after it had closed and no one was there. They are seen going to five gaming machines, opening them with hand tools, and removing $24,252 in cash.
H. Lazar & Sons, the owners of the machines, told police it would cost almost $1,500 to repair them, the complaint states.
While police were at the bar, its owner introduced O’Malley, who said he had information about similar recent thefts in which game machines were broken into in Butler County. He gave officers his contact information, the complaint states.
Cameras in the Northgate Drive business district captured a large, lifted pickup park at a business near the Brush Creek Inn. Two people are seen getting out of the truck and walking toward the inn holding a bag and hand tools. The timing was consistent with the time of the burglary, and they are seen running to it and leaving 21 minutes later, the complaint states.
The pickup was found to be registered to O’Malley.
Police investigated O’Malley’s cellphone location and call history using the number he had provided, the complaint states.
His device’s location was consistent with the path of the pickup seen on cameras before, during and after the burglary, the complaint states.
O’Malley’s phone had calls to Stermon in the early morning hours of May 12. Police said Stermon is a known acquaintance of O’Malley, and a bartender said Stermon is a regular customer who was at the bar the night of May 11 into closing hours on May 12.
When Northern Regional Police asked Stermon to come in for an interview, they said he came to their station with counsel. Stermon admitted to being the second person seen with O’Malley, the complaint states.
Attorneys representing O’Malley and Stermon did not respond to requests for comment.
O’Malley and Stermon are each charged with felony counts of burglary, criminal trespass, criminal conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property and a misdemeanor count of criminal mischief.
O’Malley and Stermon were arraigned Thursday and released on nonmonetary bonds. They are each scheduled for preliminary hearings July 30 before District Judge Matthew J. Brungo.
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.
