The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
PITTSBURGH — City police have charged a man with fraudulently collecting money for the three police officers killed in Stanton Heights.
Michael Stebler, 26, of Ross, was arrested Saturday night in Brighton Heights after he was seen collecting money in a firefighter’s boot. He was dressed in a T-shirt that said “Ross Twp. Volunteer Fire” and was carrying a radio and a pager, police said.
Mr. Stebler was charged with theft by deception, failure to make required disposition of funds, false impersonation and possessing instruments of crime.
Police said Mr. Stebler told them he had collected money in the area for a couple of days and had turned it in at the Zone 1 police station and to the Greater Pittsburgh Federal Credit Union. Police could not verify those claims, and they also discovered the Mr. Stebler has no connection to the Ross fire department.
He faces a preliminary hearing at 12:30 p.m. next Tuesday.
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