Trial for Shamokin tow operator set Friday
SUNBURY - A Shamokin salvage yard owner accused of failing to return a truck he towed will have his day in county court Friday.
A jury of seven women and five men was selected Monday morning to hear the case against Alfons Keefer, 46, of 713 Bear Valley Ave., charged with felony offenses of theft and receiving stolen property and misdemeanor charges of obstructing the administration of law enforcement or another government agency, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence and deceptive business practices.
Two-year investigation
The charges, filed in August 2010, involve a two-year investigation conducted by Trooper Kevin L. Bletz of the Pennsylvania State Police's Auto Theft Task Force. Bletz was asked by Northumberland County District Attorney Tony Rosini and Shamokin City Police to conduct the investigation in February 2008 because of a prior conflict between city police and Keefer. That involved a dispute with the city over towing and storage charges when Keefer removed 18 vehicles from Robert Gilligbauer's Shamokin property in 2007.
According to a state police report, the felony theft investigation stemmed from a missing 2001 Ford F-350, owned by Joy Kulenguskey, of Shamokin. Police said the truck was towed and stored by Keefer at his business, A&G Towing on Bear Valley Avenue, and then the truck disappeared.
Northumberland County Judge Charles Saylor will preside over the one-day trial. The jury consists of two women each from Coal Township and Northumberland and women from Turbotville, Paxinos and Milton. Men on the jury are from Turbotville, Montandon, Mount Carmel, Sunbury and Milton. The two alternatives in the case are men from Watsontown and Dalmatia.
On Sept. 17, 2010, Keefer was held for court on the charges by Magisterial District Judge Craig Long of Catawissa, who was assigned the case because Magisterial District Judge John Gembic III had a potential conflict of interest. Keefer, the owner of A&G Towing in Shamokin, and A&N Salvage in Coal Township, filed a complaint in 2009 with the State Judicial Conduct Board on charges that Gembic was using his influence to steer business for a rival towing company of Keefer's that Keefer claimed was partly owned by Gembic. That complaint has subsequently been dismissed.
Civil lawsuit pending, too
In March, Keefer filed a civil lawsuit in U.S. Middle District Court in Williamsport, naming Gembic, Coal Township, Shamokin, their respective police chiefs William Carpenter and Edward Griffiths, and the business Anthracite Towing and Recovery LLC, and its owner, Michael Garcia, as the suit's defendants.
Keefer is asking for a jury trial on the matter and judgments that the defendants "jointly and severally deprived him of his rights under the First and 14th Amendments and the Commerce Clause, together with damages for pain and suffering, embarrassment and humiliation, lost business in the amount of $150,000, emotional distress, punitive damages, fees, costs, attorney's fees and such other relief as may be appropriate."
Due to a 1983 law, the recovery of punitive damages from a municipality is not permitted. An order in July stayed all forms of discovery in the case, pending legal arguments by several defendants to be dismissed from the suit.
To comment you must first create a profile and sign-in with a verified DISQUS account or social network ID. Sign up here.
Comments in violation of the rules will be denied, and repeat violators will be banned. Please help police the community by flagging offensive comments for our moderators to review. By posting a comment, you agree to our full terms and conditions. Click here to read terms and conditions.
Copyright ©2012 The News Item | 707 N. Rock St. | Shamokin, PA 17872 | (570) 644-6397
Privacy Policy | Opinion Posting Policy | About our ads | Questions or comments? Contact Us
