HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Cumberland County man was sentenced to 17 months in prison for stealing more than $10,000 worth of materials from the construction site of a federal courthouse in Harrisburg in 2021, U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam announced Friday.
Christopher Gontaryk, 48, of Wormleysburg, was also ordered to pay $10,736.01 in restitution. Following his release from prison, Gontaryk will also serve three years of probation, Karam said in a press release.
According to testimony at trial, Gontaryk stole $9,919.61 worth of materials from the construction site of the Sylvia H. Rambo U.S. Courthouse in October 2021. He sold copper and brass construction materials obtained in the theft at a metal scrapyard in Pottsville, Schuylkill County, the next day, Karam said.
In March 2022, while on release pending trial for the foregoing theft, Gontaryk returned to the same location and committed another theft of construction materials worth about $816.40, according to Karam. He again sold the stolen materials at a scrapyard, this time in York.
Gontaryk was sentenced to 15 months of imprisonment for the first offense and two months for the second offense, resulting in the total sentence of 17 months.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma prosecuted the case.
