New Brighton Man Charged with Selling Merchandise He Hired Thieves to Steal
| U.S. Attorney’s Office May 08, 2012 |
PITTSBURGH—A resident of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen goods, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The two-count indictment named Terry L. Sempf, 56, of New Brighton, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, between June 2008 and May 2010, Sempf paid professional thieves to steal merchandise from various retail stores in Western Pennsylvania. The indictment further alleges that, after purchasing the stolen goods from the thieves, Sempf transported the items to the Rogers Community Auction in Rogers, Ohio, where he then resold the stolen items.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 15 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Brighton Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.