Latest news with #GreaterPottsvilleAreaSewerAuthority
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Yahoo
Former sewer authority director Joe Spotts arraigned on felony charges
TAMAQUA — Joseph Spotts, the former head of the Greater Pottsville Area Sewer Authority wanted on felony theft charges, surrendered to authorities Wednesday morning. An employee of District Magistrate Stephen Bayer said Spotts went to the office around 11:30 a.m. Bayer arraigned Spotts on $25,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is set for 10:30 a.m. May 6 in Bayer's office. A warrant for his arrest was issued on April 12. Spotts was charged with theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property, both felonies, after he allegedly stole $2,100 from the money box of a skills game machine at The Humane Fire Company. The Humane Fire Company notified Pottsville Police about the theft, records show. Spotts was seen on camera taking the money, according to the police report. He then paid back the money on March 22, police said. Spotts told officers that he returned the money to the fire company after applying for a loan, police said. AJ Alves, president of the Humane Fire Company, said it removed Spotts as a member, which he had been for 48 years. Spotts later resigned as head of the sewer authority. He was also active on several city boards, and was the head of the city Democratic party.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Warrant issued for former Pottsville Sewer Authority director Joe Spotts
TAMAQUA — An arrest warrant has been issued for Joseph Spotts, the former executive director of the Greater Pottsville Area Sewer Authority and former member of the Humane Fire Company. Spotts, 65, has been charged by Pottsville Police with felony theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property after he allegedly stole $2,100 from a skills machine money box at Humane Fire Company over a span of three weeks The warrant was issued about 1:30 p.m. Friday, according to an employee of Magisterial District Judge Stephen Bayer's office in Tamaqua. The Humane Fire Company notified Pottsville Police about the theft, records show. Spotts was seen on camera taking the money, according to the police report. He then paid back the money on March 22, police said. Spotts told officers that he returned the money to the fire company after applying for a loan, police said. AJ Alves, president of the Humane Fire Company, said it removed Spotts as a member, which he had been for 48 years. Spotts later resigned as head of the sewer authority. He was also active on several city boards. Mayor Mark Atkinson said he took steps to remove him from all city-appointed positions after When Pottsville officials found out about the theft charge against Spotts. Among those were director of emergency management and a member of the Pottsville Redevelopment Authority. Dan Kelly Jr. is the acting director of the emergency management until he can be officially appointed at Monday's city council meeting, Atkinson said. Spotts also resigned as head of the city Democratic party, Dorothy Botto confirmed Thursday. A meeting will be held to see who is interested in being the next head of the party, Botto said.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Yahoo
Pottsville city official faces felony theft charge
POTTSVILLE — The executive director of the Greater Pottsville Area Sewer Authority has been suspended from his job and was removed from several city boards and the Humane Fire Company amid a felony theft charge, authorities confirmed Thursday. Joe Spotts, 65, has been charged with felony theft by unlawful taking, and receiving stolen property, according to Pottsville Police. Spotts told police he borrowed the money and intended to pay it back, according to the police report. Reached Thursday, Spotts said via text message that he had no comment. AJ Alves, president of the Humane Fire Company No. 1, said the police were notified Tuesday about an incident involving Spotts. He did not elaborate. 'He's no longer a member,' Alves said, referring to a motion taken by the fire company to remove Spotts as a member, which he had been for 48 years. In all, $2,100 was stolen from the Humane Fire Company from a skills machine money box over a span of three weeks, according to police. Spotts was seen on camera taking the money, according to the police report. He then paid back the money on March 22, police said. Police said Spotts told officers that he returned the money to the fire company after applying for a loan. He didn't have a response to why he didn't apply for a loan in the first place, police said. Pottsville Mayor Mark Atkinson, who is a member of the Phoenix Fire Company, confirmed that Spotts was interviewed by the police. Atkinson said he is 'disappointed' with the recent developments. 'The city took very swift action to remove him from all positions,' the mayor said. Spotts was the director of emergency management and a member of the Pottsville Redevelopment Authority. Dan Kelly Jr. is the acting director of the emergency management until he can be officially appointed at Monday's city council meeting, Atkinson said. City council will also need to fill Atkinson's spot on the redevelopment authority, he said. Dorothy 'Dottie' Botto confirmed Thursday that Spotts has resigned as head of the city Democratic party. She said he wrote a letter to Thomas Campion, treasurer of the city Democratic party. A meeting will be held to see who is interested in being the next head of the party, Botto said. Barry DeWitt, chairman of the sewer authority, said Spotts was suspended with pay earlier this week. A special meeting was scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the sewer authority headquarters in city hall for personnel matters. 'We were told a police report will be forthcoming,' DeWitt said, adding, 'We are trying to be very transparent to the public.' Spotts had been the executive director of the Greater Pottsville Sewer Authority since Oct. 30, 2024, when he was unanimously hired at a salary of $110,000 per year, plus benefits. Prior to being named executive director, Spotts was a project manager earning $105,000 a year. The Pottsville resident has extensive experience in the industry, having worked nine years for D.G. Yuengling & Son as an environmental health and safety manager, and before that, as an operations manager with Miller Environmental in Reading. In that role, he oversaw 11 projects in Berks and Lehigh counties with a staff of 20 people.
