CONESTOGA, Pa. — A township supervisor in Lancaster County has been charged with stealing township property, according to a criminal complaint affidavit filed by State Police.
John Berry, 64, of Millersville, is one of three members of the Conestoga Township Board of Supervisors, and also serves as the township's roadmaster. He is charged with one count of theft by unlawful taking, according to the complaint.
Berry is accused of unlawfully asking road crew members to bring a $1,400 air compressor owned by Conestoga Township to his home for his personal use.
Afterward, he allegedly approved the purchase of an identical air compressor for $2,600, without the consent of the other township supervisors, the complaint states.
According to the complaint, police interviewed Brandi Tomasetti in January, when she was serving as the township's secretary. Tomasetti, who served as the township's point of contact and paid its outstanding bills as part of her duties, said she was informed that Berry had bought a new air compressor and had the old one, which the township purchased in 2017, moved to his home.
Tomasetti has since resigned her position with the township after accusing Berry of harassment, according to LancasterOnline. She is currently campaigning to oppose Dave McCormick for the Republican nomination in the race for U.S. Senate.
The township has since agreed to pay an undisclosed amount to Tomasetti to settle the harassment issue, though the terms of the settlement and the nature of the alleged harassment were not shared.
The complaint against Berry filed by State Police did not say who alerted investigators to the air compressor issue.
Former township supervisor Bob Hershey Jr., whose term ended last December, and current supervisor Matthew Connelly both told investigators that Berry should have cleared the purchase of a new air compressor with them in advance.
Connelly added that "there should be no reason" for Berry to tell township workers to take the old compressor to his house. Normally, he said, the township would have either fixed the old compressor or auctioned it off.
Berry allegedly told police he wanted the old compressor because he intended to use its tank in his own air system, according to the complaint. He allegedly admitted he knew it was wrong to bring it home, and to buy a new compressor without the other supervisors' approval, police said.
Berry also allegedly admitted that he didn't personally verify that the old compressor was broken. He said a worker told him it was "bad."
A preliminary hearing for the theft charge has been scheduled for March 15, according to court records.
