The preliminary hearing scheduled for Monday for the Meadville man charged with allegedly selling approximately 100 brass markers stolen from veterans’ grave sites in Greendale Cemetery as scrap metal is now expected to take place within the next week to 10 days.
The delay is to amend court documents so he can be charged with about 100 instead on just one of the charges, “desecration or sale of venerated objects.”
Pennsylvania State Police at Meadville allege Raymond J. Ebbert, 45, of 1108 S. Main St., took a total of 584 pounds of brass along with other recyclables to AIM Recycling on Nov. 30 last year. Ebbert was reportedly initially paid a total of $730 — $1.25 per pound — for the brass.
After Ebbert left the facility, however, an AIM manager reportedly examined the box containing the recyclables and contacted state police after finding it contained veterans’ markers that had been cut into several hundreds of pieces.
Police reported that upon further investigation, the brass markers were identified as being from the grave sites of veterans who served in various wars throughout the country’s history, as well as from some of the Meadville area’s earliest firefighting companies.
Ebbert was arrested and arraigned Jan. 8 before Vernon Township-area Magisterial District Judge Michael Rossi, sitting in for Meadville-area Magisterial District Judge William Chisholm, on felony and misdemeanor charges of three counts of receiving stolen property and one count of desecration or sale of venerated objects.
At the beginning of Ebbert’s preliminary hearing Monday afternoon, Assistant District Attorney Chris Mitchell requested that the single count of desecration or sale of venerated objects be amended to 100 counts, one for each marker prosecutors estimate that he allegedly attempted to sell.
Defense attorney Wesley Rowden objected, describing the change as both “significant” and “extremely prejudicial” to his client.
Mitchell disagreed, saying that the change was simply a matter changing the number “1” to “100.”
Chisholm replied that each separate count has to have a separate offense specifically listed on court documents. “My indication is that we can’t change it,” he said.
The case was continued for a week to 10 days to allow the prosecution to amend the complaint.
Mary Spicer can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at mspicer@meadvilletribune.com.
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