For nearly four years, two employees of an electrical component producer in Murrysville smuggled scraps of silver -- $752,624 worth -- inside their lunch pails to avoid security checks by guards as they left the plant, police said.
Murrysville police Monday charged two production employees of AMI DODUCO, a global producer of electrical contact equipment that utilizes silver, with stealing more than 2,760 pounds of the precious metal. The current market value of silver is $17 an ounce, making a pound worth $272.
Police allege that the two employees, Pamela Shermenti, 51, of Loyalhanna Township, and Ryan A. Doak, 26, of 121 Holly Drive, Saltsburg, along with Shermenti's husband, William, 56, would collect scraps the size and shape of hockey pucks, then sell the silver in quantities of 60 pounds or more to Tarentum scrap dealer P.J. Greco Sons Inc.
Murrysville police charged the trio with multiple counts of criminal conspiracy and receiving stolen property.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, police were tipped off April 12 by a disgruntled employee who went to company security officials claiming that Doak and Pamela Shermenti were stealing about $50,000 worth of silver per month. One kept the silver in a home safe, he said.
"He said the employees take the scrap silver from the trash and remove it from the building using their lunch buckets," according to police.
Police said employees at Greco identified the Shermentis and Doak as the three people who occasionally brought in silver. According to the affidavit, Greco records show the Shermentis "brought in large quantities of silver on nine different occasions between Dec. 7 last year and April 8."
"(The Shermentis) returned to Greco 51 times to obtain payment for the silver. They received $161,340 in the 51 payments," police said.
On April 22, police interviewed Pamela Shermenti, who denied any wrongdoing. She also claimed that silver could not be taken out of the plant because security guards use metal detection wands as employees leave for the day.
All three were released following their arraignments this week before Export District Judge Charles Conway after posting $5,000 bond. Preliminary hearings are scheduled Tuesday.
Employees at Greco assisted in the investigation and face no charges, according to court records.
Officials at AMI DODUCO in Murry Corporate Park did not return requests for comment yesterday. Messages left on the Shermentis' answering machine were not returned. Doak could not be reached for comment.
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