by peter e. bortner
ORWIGSBURG - David F. Wetzel said Tuesday that he lost $15,400 in dealing in classic used vehicles with a Deer Lake man and now knows why.
"I'm a fool. That's all I can tell you. I trusted the guy," Wetzel, Schuylkill Haven, said of Robert D. Schappell Jr., the man police alleged took his money and never delivered the vehicles he promised.
Wetzel was one of two alleged victims who testified before Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier, who after a separate hearing in each case found sufficient evidence to order all charges against Schappell held for Schuylkill County Court.
Those charges include four counts of theft by deception and deceptive business practices and two of receiving stolen property in one case and two counts each of theft by deception, receiving stolen property and deceptive business practices in the other.
Ferrier denied the request of Assistant Public Defender Christopher M. Riedlinger, Schappell's lawyer, to reduce his client's bail, which is $50,000 straight cash in each case. Schappell, who sat through each hearing in handcuffs, a belt and a prison jumpsuit, returned to prison after the hearings.
Prosecutors withdrew charges in a third case because, according to Assistant District Attorney James P. Flagella, the alleged victim was sick and did not appear for court. Flagella said police will refile that set of charges, which includes 12 counts each of theft, theft by deception, receiving stolen property and deceptive business practices.
State police at Schuylkill Haven allege Schappell took $20,700 from Jonathan Bowers, Cumbola, in December 2013 in exchange for numerous salvage vehicles and oil. Schappell never delivered any of the vehicles or any oil and returned only $5,000 of the money to Bowers, police said.
In the other case, state police say Schappell took $15,400 from Wetzel in July 2013 in exchange for nine vehicles, including eight cars and an ice cream truck. Schappell neither delivered the vehicles nor returned any of the money to Wetzel, according to police.
Bowers, the owner of Bowers Motorcycle Supplies Inc., New Philadelphia, testified he had prior business dealings with Schappell and did not hesitate when the defendant told him on Dec. 26 that he could get him scrap all-terrain vehicles that had water damage.
"He asked me if I wanted to buy some stuff through a liquidation company," Bowers said. "We do lots of salvage stuff."
"Did you ever receive any of the merchandise?" Flagella asked him.
"Not a thing," Bowers answered. "Everything was supposed to come the following week."
In his testimony, Wetzel said he also had dealt with Schappell before and did not hesitate to buy the vehicles, which he understood would have some damage, with delivery guaranteed within 60 days.
"Did you ever receive any of the vehicles?" Flagella asked Wetzel.
"None," Wetzel replied.
Wetzel also said he had been dealing in such vehicles since he was 16 years old and did not hesitate to do business on trust.
"This is nothing new to me," he said.
While not contesting the charges involving Wetzel being sent to court, Riedlinger did ask for dismissal of the ones stemming from Bowers' case, saying a civil lawsuit would be more appropriate.
"There was no end date set for these deliveries," he said. "He did pay $5,000 back. There's no criminal case here."
However, Ferrier accepted Flagella's argument that Schappell had promisee the delivery to Bowers at a time before police arrested him.
"He clearly wasn't incarcerated during the time Mr. Bowers expected delivery," Flagella said.