Timothy Lee Brem, 48, of Jackson Road., St. Marys, was waived to court on 18 felony charges and two misdemeanor charges in stealing company equipment from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in Potter County.

The charges stem from incidents which occurred between March 23, 2004, and April 26, 2007, during which time Brem allegedly ordered items on PennDOT’s expense for himself and his son.

The total financial loss to PennDOT was approximately $6,035.11.

Brem worked for PennDOT for 26 years as an equipment manager.

Brem was arrested on March 31 and arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Barb Easton. He was released on $40,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing was set for April 2 at 1:30 p.m. before Magisterial District Judge Annette Easton in Coudersport.

Brem’s charges include two felony counts of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities; one felony count of forgery; one felony count each of deceptive business practices, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds and access device fraud; two felony counts each of tampering with public records, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property and six felony counts of theft by deception; one misdemeanor count each of misapplication of entrusted property and securing execution of documents by deception.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, Brem submitted a request form for an emergency purchase of tires for a PennDOT weld truck under another employee’s name in March 2007.

The tires, totaling $615.80, did not fit any PennDOT vehicles, but were a match to Brem’s personal vehicle, a Dodge truck.

The following is a timeline of Brem’s charges according to court records:

• On Feb. 16, 2007, Brem used PennDOT funds to purchase a $364.44 tractor grill and submitted a requisition form with an employee’s name on it. He admitted in the company conference the part was for his son’s tractor; the part wasn’t recovered, the records read.

• On March 7, 2007, Brem sent an employee to pick up a $455, 72-inch tool box and a $228.65, 70-inch toolbox from a detail shop. One toolbox would not fit any PennDOT truck, but would fit Brem’s truck. The other hadn’t been installed on a PennDOT truck. Brem altered the requisition forms, then altered someone’s payroll paperwork indicating the toolboxes had been installed on PennDOT vehicles, the records read. The toolboxes were recovered. Brem also ordered a trailer hitch for $121.26 and a trailer lighting adapter kit for $22.88, both of which were paid for by PennDOT and used by Brem. The hitch was recovered, the records read.

• On March 16, 2007, Brem used PennDOT funds to purchase two mud flaps, 12 bottles of transmission fluid and two truck bed coatings. He used another person’s name on the requisition form and indicated the items were to replenish the storeroom at PennDOT’s Coudersport office. The items were not entered into the PennDOT storeroom. The mud flaps were later recovered at Brem’s home.

• On March 20, 2007, Brem signed for two pairs of new tire chains for his PennDOT truck. The truck was a two-wheel drive which did not need two pairs. Upon his termination, PennDOT officials searched his truck and found one used pair of tires while the new tires were recovered at his home.

• In the spring of 2006, Brem took a Stanley nail gun valued at $250, replaced it with another one and put the same equipment number on the new nail gun.

• In the summer of 2006, Brem took a compound miter saw valued at $500, replaced it with a new one and put the same equipment number on the new one. The new saw was broken and when Brem was asked to return the old one he said it had been destroyed. The saw was never located.

• In December of 2006, Brem submitted a request to dismantle a riding lawn mower, saying it no longer worked and had only been used 13 hours that year when documents show the mower was used 435 hours. During his disciplinary conference Brem said he gave the mower to a farmer however, it was later recovered at his residence.

• December 2006, Brem ordered parts for his son’s tractor and used another employee’s name to requisition the parts. His son sold the tractor and the parts were never recovered.

• August  2005, engine parts for his son’s tractor were purchased with PennDOT funds. E-mails from Brem’s son show a request for specific parts for his tractor.

According to court documents, Brem then altered an employee’s payroll paperwork to indicate that employee had installed the tires on the PennDOT truck. After a third employee found out about the incident, he told a supervisor after which an investigation then began.

The investigation lead to a pre-disciplinary conference in April 2007 during which time Brem admitted to the accusations. He was suspended without pay then eventually fired.

 The Comptroller for Auditing of the Governor’s Office of the Budget for Pennsylvania assisted in the investigation.