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Ruth’s Place receives donation from Angel’s Among Us

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Children learned hands-on in a culinary summer camp hosted by LCCC

WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A man involved with stealing more than $24,000 worth of construction supplies and equipment will spend three years under county supervision.Edwin E. Ruggere, 40, of Plains Township, was sentenced Tuesday in Luzerne County Court to three years in the county&#8217;s Intermediate Punishment Program (IPP) on theft charges, according to court papers.Judge Michael T. Vough ordered the man to spend the first year of his sentence on house arrest with electronic monitoring, court documents say. Ruggere admitted in April to one count of theft and one count of conspiracy to commit theft.He is to split restitution of $24,280 with his co-defendant Jason Hunzer.Hunzer, 32, also of Plains Township, admitted to the charges in April and was sentenced June 30 to three years in IPP, according to court papers. He is to spend the first six months on house arrest without electronic monitoring.According to a criminal complaint, Ruggere and Hunzer stole a number of steel items from a construction site along state Route 309 in Hanover Township in late October.The men tried to sell the steel the next day at a Wilkes-Barre Township scrapyard, but left when Hunzer became nervous, the complaint says.Ruggere and Hunzer did scrap 835 pounds of steel at a Scranton scrapyard and received $346, police say. They sold the rest of the steel for $221 at a Wilkes-Barre scrapyard.When questioned by police, both men admitted to their involvement in the theft, the complaint says.Hunzer said he needed the money to cover bills and pay for his child, according to police. Ruggere allegedly said he was a &#8220;scrapper&#8221; and did it for the money.<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By James O&#8217;Malleyjomalley@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach James O&#8217;Malley at 570-991-6390 or on Twitter @TL_omalley.</shirttailMeta></div>

Plains Twp. man ordered to house arrest in steel theft