Coroner: Contractor charged in scams died of natural causes at county prison

Published: October 29, 2009

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SUNBURY - William T. Wetzel, the Shamokin contractor who was charged with swindling 23 customers out of thousands of dollars, died Tuesday. He was 50.

Northumberland County Coroner James Kelley said Wetzel died from natural causes that included a heart-related ailment. He was pronounced dead Tuesday morning in the emergency room at Sunbury Community Hospital after being stricken ill outside Northumberland County Prison while unloading food items.

Kelley said an autopsy to determine Wetzel's cause of death was conducted Wednesday morning at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown by Dr. Samuel Land, a forensic pathologist.

In January, Wetzel was sentenced by Northumberland County President Judge Robert B. Sacavage to 11 to 23 months in county prison on theft charges. He also was ordered to make restitution to his victims.

He was convicted of theft charges related to taking money for construction projects that he never started or never completed.

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3 posted comments

What a nasty way to announce a man's death.May God bless his family.
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A freind,  10/30/09 6:50
Why was he not seen by a physician? Something smells real bad on this.
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Citizen,  10/29/09 11:07
Let him rest in peace. Just what his family needed to see, don't you think it is hard enought to have to deal with his death right now. How many other inmates do you put an article in when they pass away when there in prison? I don't even know the guy but I think printing that was uncalled for. It was already published when he was convicted.
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Doesn't Matter,  10/29/09 9:47