Pair faked a holdup, jailed man tells police

MERCER — A man currently held in Mercer County Jail confessed that he and an accomplice staged a fake robbery so they could steal reciepts from a store, Mercer police said.

Michael A. Bartolone, 29, formerly of Mercer and Shenango Township, told police he and a woman faked a robbery in December 2006 outside the National City Bank drive-through at 147 N. Diamond St., Mercer, police said.

He told police the woman reported that an unidentified black man robbed her at gunpoint, stealing $3,656 in cash and checks in a bag belonging to the Dollar General store, police said.

Bartolone told police he and the woman took the money.

Charges of theft, making false reports and conspiracy were held to court against Bartolone. He remains in jail on a $25,000 bond, said court documents.

There are no charges filed yet against the female accomplice Bartolone mentioned, according to online court documents.

Klamer waives hearing on theft charges

HERMITAGE — Keith A. Klamer, the former Hermitage street superintendent, waived a preliminary hearing on charges that he stole $5,590 from the city.

Although Klamer, 60, of 7209 Lamor Road, Hermitage, was scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Wednesday, the waiver paperwork was handled July 3 by fax, said a spokeswoman for District Judge Ronald E. Antos, Farrell.

Klamer, who retired in February, is accused of personally accepting cash and checks to install frontage drainage pipe without turning the money over to the city, police said. He also had an employee take scrap from the city garage in for recycling and pocketed the proceeds, police said.