PITTSBURGH – David Michael Spaid, 56, a Pittsburgh-based scrapper, has been hit with a 24-month federal prison sentence for his role in transporting stolen nickel worth an estimated $151,000 across state lines. The United States Attorney David J. Hickton revealed the details of the sentencing.
According to court documents, Spaid was convicted of interstate transportation of stolen goods, with a value exceeding $5,000. He transported the stolen metal, which had been stolen by two employees from Allegheny Ludlum plant in Harrison Township, Pennsylvania. The nickel weighed over 17,000 lbs and carried an estimated worth of approximately $151,000.
Spaid’s involvement in the heist was revealed when Kenneth Hill and Timothy Angely, the thieves, sold the stolen material to Spaid’s company, AAA Scrap Metal. Spaid then resold the nickel briquettes to ECS Refining in Terrell, Texas, with the shipment taking place on or around Oct. 21, 2011.
The court heard that Spaid had previously received at least nine shipments of stolen goods from PJ Eberhardt, who was working in conjunction with Hill and Angely. Spaid’s scheme involved fronting Eberhardt $30,000 and then paying an additional amount based on a prearranged formula for the value of the nickel after selling it.
United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence, which also included a $15,000 fine and two years of supervised release. Assistant United States Attorney James T. Kitchen handled the prosecution on behalf of the government.
Hickton commended U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for their role in investigating and bringing Spaid to justice.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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