DELMAR — A local man convicted of stealing over $94,000 worth of copper and brass material from the Bethlehem Water Department was sentenced to five years probation and restitution on Thursday, Nov. 16 by Judge Roger D. McDonough in Albany County Court in a plea deal.
The plea also included $94,309.37 in restitution from Matthew Stipe, 33, of Delmar. $5,000 of the amount is due to the town and the remainder is to the insurance company that reimbursed the town for the loss. At the end of probation, any amounts left unpaid will be converted to a confession of judgment, according to the Albany County District Attorney’s office.
On Jan. 11 Bethlehem police arrested Stipe, a Bethlehem Water Department employee, for allegedly stealing what was estimated, at that time, to be worth $63,481.19 of copper and brass from the town. Further inventory by the town uncovered that he took much more than originally thought.
He was charged with grand larceny, a felony, was arraigned and released at that time.
On Nov. 15, 2021, Water Department staff reported the materials missing from a storage building at 308 Kenwood Ave. to police after staff took inventory of the metals and found a substantial deficit.
According to police, the thefts took place over a long period of time.
