SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - A Deer Lake man faces 63 felony charges after he allegedly defrauded a Schuylkill Haven car dealer of $202,050.
Schuylkill Haven police charged Robert D. Schappell Jr., 42, of 440 Lake Front Drive, with 21 third-degree felony counts each of theft, theft by deception and receiving stolen property.
Schappell was arrested Jan. 20 by Patrolman Vincent McDonald, arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge David J. Rossi, Tremont, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison in lieu of $80,000 bail.
McDonald said the scam came to light in November when Bruce Stidham, owner of Bruce's Auto Mall on Centre Avenue, reported the theft.
Stidham said that, in June of 2013, Schappell approached him and said he had a person in the Pottstown area able to get Corvettes for low prices. Stidham, who had dealt with Schappell before, agreed to make a series of transactions, giving checks and cash to the man. However, he never received any vehicles.
McDonald said that Stidham contacted Schappell several times about the transactions and was told that the money was being deposited in a bank in Wyomissing and the vehicles were being held up by title issues.
Stidham told McDonald that he gave Schappell until Nov. 25 to return the money and he also gave police copies of the checks given for the vehicles.
The money given to Schappell included:
On June 25, $14,250 for the purchase of three Corvettes; $7,200 on Aug. 16 for a 2009 Corvette; Aug. 17, $9,900 for the purchase of a 2008 Cadillac sedan and a 2013 Cadillac truck; Aug. 17, $8,000 for a 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer and a 2012 Cadillac Escalade; and Sept. 6, $12,000 for a Ford rollback truck and a 2008 Corvette; on Sept. 6, $3,000 for a 1969 Corvette and the same day $14,000 for a 1964 Corvette and a 1959 Corvette; Sept. 9, $8,500 for a 2012 Corvette; Sept. 12, $3,800 for a 2010 Corvette; Sept. 14, $6,800 for a 2009 Lexus and a 1964 Corvette; Sept. 17, $13,000 for a 2011 Lexus and a 2010 Toyota 4 Runner; and Sept. 27, $8,800 to clear the balance on three vehicles.
Stidham issued $14,000 on Oct. 1 for two 1953 Corvettes; on Oct. 3, $20,000 for three vehicles; Oct. 5, $9,200 for a 2006 Corvette and the same day $2,800 for a 1988 Calloway Corvette; Oct. 7, $7,000 for a 2013 Chevrolet truck; Oct. 8, $8,000 for a 1966 Corvette and also $11,000 for a Corvette; and on Oct. 23, $8,500 for a 2013 Corvette.
McDonald also said that, on Sept. 30, Stidham gave Schappell $12,300 in cash to clear four vehicles.
When interviewed by police, Chief Jeff Walcott said Schappell was not able to provide information on where the money stolen from Stidham was nor was he able to return any of that money.
Schappell will now have to appear for a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier, Orwigsburg.