Dippery charged with new felony

LEWISTOWN -- Shawn L. Dippery, 46, of Lewistown, was charged Tuesday with one felony count theft of leased property after a local retailer reported Dippery had leased nearly $6,200 in electronics and never paid for the items.

Court documents state that police responded to a theft complaint by the retailer on Oct. 11, during which the manager of the store produced four packets of information that included three separate lease agreements signed by Dippery. The agreements documented that Dippery leased three large screen televisions, a Playstation 4 game system and a 200W soundbar, the whereabouts of which have not been established, according to court documents. Documents indicate the items were valued at $6,197.66 and were reported into the National Crime Information Center as stolen, should they not be returned during the course of the police investigation.

The fourth packet documented 170 various attempts to contact Dippery and his associates to either collect payment or have the items returned, beginning in February 2018 and continuing until Oct. 10, according to court documents. Documents state the report noted that multiple attempts to make contact were successful, documenting that Dippery initially reported he was preparing to make payments for the items and would do so at the retail establishment, but further attempts to make contact either via phone call, text, physical visits, registered or certified letters, were unsuccessful.

Dippery was arraigned via video conference from Mifflin County Correctional Facility before Magisterial District Judge Jonathan Reed, who set bail at $25,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 24.

Dippery was also charged Wednesday with theft by deception and deceptive business practices, following additional information from Lewistown Borough Police regarding his alleged seal-coating/driveway repair scam. Dippery was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Jack Miller video conference from MCCF, who set bail at $10,000. A preliminary hearing for that case is scheduled for Nov. 2.