The West Lawn developer accused of using magnets to steal millions of gallons worth of water from Reading Area Water Authority has reached an agreement with the water authority.
Bruce Becker, 65, of the 100 block of Grande Boulevard pleaded guilty in June to possessing an instrument of crime and sentenced to a maximum of four years of probation, according to court documents. The charge of theft of services was dismissed, according to documents.
Becker was originally charged in 2019 with a felony charge of theft of services and a misdemeanor count of possessing an instrument of a crime, according to court documents.
The Becker who pleaded guilty to using a magnet to steal water is not the artist Bruce Becker.
Becker was ordered to pay $328,516 in restitution in July, according to court documents.
Water Authority Executive Director Bill Murray told the authority board Tuesday evening that the authority reached a settlement agreement with Becker.
Becker admitted to depriving the water authority of $325,000, Murray said.
“That was the property we caught him in,” Murray said.
Becker owned other properties where the authority believed he also tampered with the water meters and stole $816,000 worth of water.
“It was based on calculations of typical water use of buildings owned by him (Becker),” said authority Solicitor Ed Stock.
Murray said the authority was contacted by Becker’s attorney who wanted to settle the matter.
“They offered us to pay the $325,000 in one check as a settlement,” Murray said. “Our normal settlements for these types of cases are 50%, so we demanded $408,000.”
The authority has a verbal agreement with Becker that when he sells a couple of his properties the authority will get a check for the balance of $408,000 owed, Murray said.
Murray said it is common practice for the water authority to settle unpaid water bills for half of what is actually owed. The authority also settled with Berks County for $750,000 when the water authority discovered an unread water meter in the county’s services building that had racked up $1.5 million in unpaid bills.
What happened?
Reading police were contacted by RAWA officials about the possible theft of water from several city properties owned by Becker in 2019.
According to investigators:
RAWA employees responded Feb. 13 to a building at 221 W. Douglass St. after receiving a report from the meter department of someone possibly tampering with the meter.
The RAWA employees were allowed in the building and found Becker in the basement with several other individuals. Becker was told the employees needed to examine the water meter.
One of the employees noticed a sweatshirt covering the meter. Becker grabbed it and tried to leave the basement. The employee told Becker to stop and to give him the magnet. Becker handed him a large magnet concealed in the sweatshirt.
Magnets are used to slow down or stop the counter on water meters. Becker admitted to the employee that he placed the magnet on the water meter.
After the magnet was discovered in the West Douglass Street property, RAWA employees examined data from other properties Becker owned. They found numerous inconsistencies in the recorded data from meters, including water usage that would drop from normal levels to zero on consecutive days in apartment buildings and commercial properties that were continually occupied.
Four properties owned by Becker were reexamined. RAWA investigators calculated that more than 63 million gallons of water were stolen between January 2006 and January 2019 at the properties through the meter manipulation.
The properties were the apartment building at 221 W. Douglass St.; a commercial building at 153 N. Fifth St.; an apartment building at 350 Elm St.; and an apartment building at 1200 N. 11th St.
The total unpaid combined water and sewer usage was calculated by RAWA officials to be $816,134.
Source: Berkshire mont
Be First to Comment