ASHLAND TWP., Pa. (EYT) – A 42-year-old man accused of defrauding a victim out of over $40,000 in lumber waived his hearing in court on Tuesday.

Court documents indicate the following charges against Earl Yokum Wangler, of Centerville, Crawford County, Pa., were waived for court on Tuesday, January 28:

– Theft By Deception-Failure To Correct, Felony 3 (seven counts)
– Receiving Stolen Property, Felony 3 (seven counts)
– Bad Checks, Misdemeanor 1 (eight counts)

The charges have been transferred to the Clarion County Court of Common Pleas.

Wangler is currently free on $10,000.00 unsecured bail.

The charges stem from an investigation into a report of bad checks and theft.

Details of the case:

According to a criminal complaint, on September 23, 2019, Trooper Berggren, of the Clarion-based State Police, was assigned to investigate a report of bad checks and theft offenses at a location on Fern Road, north of Route 322, in Ashland Township, Clarion County.

Through investigation, it was determined Earl Wangler and the victim had entered into a lumber transaction where the victim had delivered approximately eight loads of lumber to Wangler.

The complaint states the victim contacted Wangler about payment and then received a series of eight checks from May 30, 2018, to November 2, 2018, and one check, dated August 9, 2018, in the amount of $1,000.00, had cleared.

However, according to the complaint the other checks, listed below, were placed on uncollected hold for insufficient funds:

• Check 10027 in the amount of $7,886.08
• Check 10032 in the amount of $7,063.71
• Check 10043 in the amount of $8,065.70
• Check 10045 in the amount of $8,281.82
• Check 10038 in the amount of $7,595.05
• Check 7224 in the amount of $1,000.00
• Check 7246 in the amount of $1,000.00
• Check 7256 in the amount of $1,000.00

The complaint notes the victim was penalized for five of the bad checks in the amount of $50.00.

According to the complaint, in total, Wangler defrauded the victim out of $41,942.36 from the date of May 30, 2018, to the present time without compensation or communication.

Wangler was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Jarah Lee Heeter at 10:30 a.m. on January 16.