A Schuylkill County man was jailed last week, accused of breaking into his workplace and stealing more than $2,200 from cash drawers, Skill machines, and a charity envelope.
Police say Charles Lash, 41, of Tamaqua, broke into his place of employment, Hiller’s Hideaway, during the early morning hours of Feb. 7. Lash, who lives in an apartment on the second floor of the building, was allegedly captured on surveillance footage committing the theft.
Tamaqua police began investigating on Feb. 11 after the bar owner reported money missing. A pool league manager first discovered money missing from a collection box on Feb. 8. The following evening, a gaming company employee arrived to collect money from the establishment’s Skill machines and reportedly found two of them empty.
When the owner reviewed security footage, cameras showed a male suspect entering the bar at about 4:15 a.m. on Feb. 7, picking up a backpack, and walking behind the bar. The suspect, who attempted to disguise himself with a cloth mask, targeted specific drawers where money was kept and was seen prying open multiple Skill machines, police said.
Just minutes before 5 a.m., the suspect walked out the front door of the bar and into a door leading to the upstairs apartments, police say.
The bar owner identified the man in the video as Lash based on several distinct characteristics. The footage reportedly shows the suspect had a beard, a distinct gait, and a black tassel hanging from his back right pocket. Police say the surveillance video from the following day showed Lash working in the bar’s kitchen sporting the same beard and carrying the same black tassel in his pocket. The owner also identified the backpack in the video as one Lash carries daily.
In total, police say Lash stole $1,932 from two Skill machines, $168 in pool league funds, $141 from a bank bag used for employee change, and $35 from an American Cancer Society fundraiser envelope.
Lash was arrested and taken before Magisterial District Judge Christian Lengel Friday night and arraigned on felony counts of theft, criminal trespass, and burglary. Lengel set bail at $75,000 and remanded Lash to Schuylkill County Prison, where he remains, according to court records. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 3 before Judge Stephen Bayer in Tamaqua.
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