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Baldwin No. 1 Fireman Charged with Theft

Collier police have accused Matthew R. Jankowski of stealing nearly $50,000.

A volunteer firefighter from faces numerous theft charges after investigators said that he stole nearly $50,000 worth of parts and labor from the tire retailer where he was working.

Matthew R. Jankowski, 30, faces six felony theft charges and four misdemeanor theft counts after arrested him last month and accused him of ripping off on Washington Pike.

Jankowski was recently the vice president of .

The former assistant manager at Mr. Tire, he is accused of stealing around $49,792 worth of parts and labor from the business during a five-month period from December to May.

Police said in a criminal complaint supporting Jankowski's arrest that workers at Mr. Tire discovered that he was voiding invoices after customers had paid him for repairs. Jankowski would take money, police said in the complaint, and also give auto technicians credit for work without their knowledge.

This isn't the first theft incident involving a Baldwin firefighter in the past couple of weeks. 's Chief Leonard "Len" Novak and Deputy Chief Stephen Bonetti were  with embezzling approximately $25,000 from the Pennsylvania firemen's relief fund over an approximately five-year period.

Police said that the thefts are not related.

According to the Baldwin Independent No. 1 website, Jankowski had once served as the vice president of the company. However, No. 1 Deputy Chief Bill Connors said that Jankowski was not serving as the vice president at the time of his charges.

Police filed the charges against Jankowski on Aug. 19 through . His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 17.

This article originally appeared on the .

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Robert Edward Healy, III (Editor) September 5, 2012 at 04:31 pm
Firemen are in a position of trust, especially one that once served as the vice president of a fire company.
Z September 5, 2012 at 04:43 pm
THINK* and also there is absolutely NO NEED to mention he is a fireman or anything of that nature. If this is all true then so be it but it has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with Him being a fireman and to mention the fire co and dept is ridiculous! especially in every article that is written about the Becks Run incident they mention Mr. Jankowski when there is no relation to the 2 stories. I know Mr. Jankowski personally and to set the record straight he is an upstanding Person/Father/Fireman/Citizen people make mistakes whatever they be in life and sure they are not right but there is no need to bash a person who has dedicated 13 + yrs to the Boro Of Baldwin as a Firefighter and Resident i just think it is Ridiculous!
William Connors September 5, 2012 at 04:43 pm
Marget abd cc, sometimes firefighter can run into complications with accessing doors or means of access. So how would you replace someone life if they were killed?
Margaret French September 5, 2012 at 05:02 pm
I would think that with the tools the fire company has it would be just as fast, if not faster, to break a door or window than to open the box to get the key and then open the door.
Robert Edward Healy, III (Editor) September 5, 2012 at 05:07 pm
"The No. 1 reason is safety," said Chad Hurka, president of the South Baldwin Volunteer Fire Company. "In order for us to efficiently get into a building, it's just quicker to unlock a key door rather than bash it down.
"And also, maybe there's a child on the other side of the door (as in an apartments complex situation). They don't know how to unlock 'cause they're so young. Maybe their parents are incapacitated. We don't wanna force that door open if there's a child on the other side of it." Story: http://patch.com/A-vXqB.
Joe Shmo September 5, 2012 at 05:18 pm
Baldwin 105 are a great family of firemen. Mr. Jankowski did a great job of being vp and some of us cant wait to see him back doing that. We have no worries that he is not capable of fullfilling his duties as the Vp and being a fireman. Going out of your way to bash a firemen with a story not related is bs. Did you mention to your public about the day he taught you how to be a fireman? Did you mention to them what a good hearted, hard working person he was? Your ridiculous, trying to ruin the reputation of the company and his family. We all stand behind him and have his back. You all write things like this as if your writing for Wall Street. Good people make mistakes and he wasnt even convicted. Wow, get a real job Ed. Your a jerk !!!!!!
Robert Edward Healy, III (Editor) September 5, 2012 at 05:32 pm
Baldwin No. 1's firemen have been accused of doing some great things. Sadly, this accusation is not one of those great things.
We'll see how the charges play out in court.
Joe Shmo September 5, 2012 at 05:32 pm
This story has nothing to do with being a fireman. No relation what so ever to what has happened. Why do you need to belittle Matt and the company? Did you know that Mr. Tire worked him 80+ some hours a week with no help to run the store? Did you know that he asked several times for help but they told him to find help himself. How his workers threatened to quit unless they had more hours and how they themselves were caught adding there own hours. That place put more stress on him than one could even imagine. He cared about his employees. Matt is a good hearted person who made a bad choice. Slandering him is just wrong. Im sure the members of his company all stand beside him. He never did them or the borough wrong. Leave him alone..
cc September 5, 2012 at 07:04 pm
Z - Matthew Jankowski is a Vice President of the fire Company and yes, I think it should be mentioned what position that he hold in the fire dept, and so glad that his position was taken away from him. As you say you know him and say he is an upstanding citizen but upstanding citizens don't steal from their place of business and $50,000 is a lot of money. Some people don't make that much money a year. He was caught with his hands in the cookie jar and i'm sure he would of had access to the main box that holds the keys to knox boxes. Next we will be reading business being broken into and robbed though knox boxes. I am against them and since I have freedom of Speech, something obama hasn't tried to take away I will speak my mine as a business owner.
cc September 5, 2012 at 07:09 pm
Let see the keys for the knox boxes are suppose to be kept at a central location that only a few will have access to. After they gear up on the fire truck then they have to go pick up a key to open these knox boxes. You don't think there will be duplicate keys made and all in official capacity won't have a copy of the key, making breaking and entering very easy for them to enter when business are closed. The rate of robberies though knox boxes was 8% in the United States. I have had companies come out and try to sell me on putting a knox box on my business and no thank you.
asher September 5, 2012 at 07:17 pm
Hey robert, yes i know this is your story and all but you have stated the same thing 3 times and every time it has not helped your cause for putting that he is a fireman in the headlines. Sorry bud. And him being a firefighter has nothing to do with his job...he is a VOLUNTEER firefighter and he worked at this as job. Those things arent even similar. There CLEARLY a difference.
cc September 5, 2012 at 07:19 pm
Z as a business owner I am against them. I monitor my business though a cam that goes to my computer. If the firemen out where my business need to get into the business I'm a call away as 3 others that has the code to the building to get in. I don't need a knox box and I do support the fire depts and then men who volunteer their time and energy. Back in the day, I wanted to volunteer and be a firemen but they didn't allow women back then. Now that I have a disability I couldn't be one but have a son who is one in VA. Z for your information, I don't live in an apartment, never have. I bought my home in the the late 70's and still live in it.
cc September 5, 2012 at 07:22 pm
Margaret thank you. This is the second time over 2 weeks that we have had articles about Baldwins Fire Dept and neither story was good news. Did your daughter have her baby yet.
Matt A. September 5, 2012 at 10:39 pm
Many people work 80 hours a week and do not steal from their employer. According to Pennsylvania Judicial System he was not just charged with fudging the books for hours for him and his men.
18 § 3921 §§ A F3 (Felony) THEFT BY UNLAWFUL TAKING 2 count 18 § 3921 §§ A M1* THEFT BY UNLAWFUL TAKING 2 count 18 § 3922 §§ A3 M1* THEFT BY DECEPTION 1 count 18 § 3922 §§ A3 F3 (Felony) THEFT BY DECEPTION 3 count 18 § 3927 §§ A M1* THEFT BY FAILURE TO MAKE REQUIRED DISPOSITION OF F 1 count 18 § 3927 §§ A 1 F3 (Felony) THEFT BY FAILURE TO MAKE REQUIRED DISPOSITION OF F 1 count * misdemeanor This is 10 counts against him. The Bible says thy shall not steal. We have laws against stealing. Working a ton of hours does not make you steal. Greed makes you steal, drugs makes you steal. We will never know the reason why he took the money but it can't be because he works 80+ hours a week. He did the crime now he has to face the courts and one day will face his Maker.
cc September 5, 2012 at 11:24 pm
asher this is news of someone in our community. He is doing what he is suppose to do as he does with Police Blotters from all 3 of our Police Dept. This was an article from the Chartiersvalley Patch. If Bob didn't bring it here, someone would of probably read it there and then asked Bob why it wasn't posted here
Z September 6, 2012 at 01:31 am
Once again CC i never said you had no freedom to say what you wanted but you are totally wrong , 1 Matt has never lost his postion at the Dept. 2nd - you all think you know the entire story but you only know from what you read and what you are reading is wrong , that man as said before worked 80+ a week , was promised over and over again to be getting an Asst. Manager to help and o ya shocking that never happend! they would work him open to close every single day weither his kids were sick or his fiance was sick or needed him it didnt matter to them , also this article has that he "stole" $50,000 from them and that is not the case. Also as an FYI he had written up his employees for using his manager code and adding hours to there paychecks and he is the one that is getting in trouble for that??? im sorry but that isnt right in any way shape or form. Also if you are "monitoring" your store via the web then you should have no problem having a knox box since you are watching your business if someone was to try and break into the knox box you would see it as u say plus know one thinks of the things that can happen to them weither it be a fire/CO problem/Rescue etc.... So having a knox box for a business helps save time and save lives they are not put there for the fireman to have free regin! CC by the way i was using an apartment as an example never said/meant you lived it one. I do not understand y u need to constantly comment on this when you dont know the whole story
L September 6, 2012 at 01:42 am
I know Matt and his family personally and I am not a member of the fire department and all of you that are bashing him and the fire department are wrong. There is still no relation in this story. It did not have to say he is a fireman.
asher September 6, 2012 at 02:29 am
Cc...well clearly it was in your community the headlines says baldwin, doesn't it? But all I'm sayin is him repeating/reposting the same comment, does nothing for him. And im not saying the guy did anything wrong by reposting it but if he is going to post and defend the article he should have some other responses and comments to defend it.
NE12Ukid September 6, 2012 at 03:48 am
AS has been made clear, THIS story was NOT about the fire company, it was about a man who stole from his business.
NE12Ukid September 6, 2012 at 03:50 am
Deputy Chief Bill Connors said that Jankowski was not serving as the vice president at the time of his charges.
NE12Ukid September 6, 2012 at 03:53 am
Yes, he still has to have his day in court. He is accused, not convicted.
cc September 6, 2012 at 03:54 am
Z neither do you know the whole story, only what your friend Matt told you. Is it the entire truth, we don't know nor will we know till the court date or till the Police release more information. Being charged with 10 counts isn't petty either. Theft by not making deposits is serious business, Someone posted his charges above. From what the article said:
"The former assistant manager at Mr. Tire, he is accused of stealing around $49,792 worth of parts and labor from the business during a five-month period from December to May. Police said in a criminal complaint supporting Jankowski's arrest that workers at Mr. Tire discovered that he was voiding invoices after customers had paid him for repairs. Jankowski would take money, police said in the complaint, and also give auto technicians credit for work without their knowledge." Most tire places don't give the mechanic access to the register,or the front desk that is what the assistant manager does and the people that work at the front desk there do. BTW Z I don't own a store as you assume. I own a business that goes 24/7 Monday though Friday and off on the weekends unless a company needs results asap on Monday morning. Then I'll go in and take care of the work on the weekend. If there is something that happens at my business when someone isn't there, I could always give the code to the security to who needs to get in. I don't need a knox box as they are against my rights as a Citizen.
cc September 6, 2012 at 04:02 am
http://chartiersvalley.patch.com/articles/firefighter-accused-of-ripping-off-employer is the article that is in the Chartiersvalley Patch. I happen to read all of the Patches that are on here as they all have different news articles.
NE12Ukid September 6, 2012 at 04:05 am
Hey, if cc doesn't want a knox box, fine, give it to someone else who does. Then when cc is out of town and someone breaks in they can just break down his door and leave it that way.
Margaret French September 6, 2012 at 04:25 am
yes cc, she had her baby,, a girl, on the 26th. 8 lbs 2 oz. Both are doing fine. Thanks for asking. I had been gone awhile since I was so sick with some kind of flu and also my computer crashed and I had to get a new one.
cc September 6, 2012 at 04:58 am
ne12ukid your way to funny. If in fact a fire dept breaks down a door to a business and there isn't anything going on and it wasn't necessary for the fire dept to break down the door, then the business owner has every right to make the fire dept pay for the damages that they caused, that is why they carry insurance. That is the reason they are pushing for knox boxes. Being as we have such honest people that have used knox boxes for their own gain and 8% of business that have had knox boxes have had their place of business robbed by some police, ems or fireman who had access to these boxes and used the key from them to commit these robberies;
cc September 6, 2012 at 05:05 am
Margaret congrats on your grand daughter and glad they are both doing fine. Sorry you were sick and glad your better now.
William Connors September 6, 2012 at 11:52 am
CC that is not exactly true that the fire department would be responsible. If a fire department is called to
any business/resident/apartment/etc it is our job to deem it save. No matter if it's a carbon monoxide call or a structure fire. So if a fire department is on scene with no key holder we are to make entry to the building one way or another. No matter what the findings are, since it was an emergency response the fire department is not liable for any charges. The insurance covers the firefighter and their equipment. If there was intentional or melicous damage that occurred that would be a different story. But I have never heard of such a case ever in the Baldwin/Whitehall area.
cc September 6, 2012 at 06:36 pm
ne12ukid I also pay for a company to monitor my place of business (I have access to the cameras) so when I'm out of town on business or vacation, I have no worries as my building and storage units on my property are well taken care of. So you wishing something to happen is a very low blow.
Robert Edward Healy, III (Editor) October 19, 2012 at 04:01 pm
An update: http://patch.com/A-yL9T.
Note Article
Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
joan etzel June 11, 2013 at 08:18 pm
either e-mail jte1327@verizon.net or call 412-884-0984
Robert Edward Healy, III (Editor) June 11, 2013 at 11:35 pm
There we are!
Big Red June 13, 2013 at 09:43 am
thanks Robert
Purple Power June 12, 2013 at 11:23 am
Well, you never know when a new verbal onslaught might come your way. I mean, after all, you wereRead More blind-sided last week by a verbal attack, who's to say another doesn't happen this week.
Tom Barchfeld June 12, 2013 at 12:29 pm
They can only do it during their comment time.
Ned Hardt June 13, 2013 at 08:16 am
Things are much clearer now. Interesting audio clip posted on Patch today along with new article.
cc June 7, 2013 at 06:24 am
Margaret, I'm sorry for your loss. Your son is your guardian angle watching over you and yourRead More family.
Margaret French June 7, 2013 at 09:14 am
Thank you. Yesterday was a hard day for me.
cc June 8, 2013 at 09:15 am
Margaret I'm sure it was a very hard day. I don't look forward to June 17 as I lost my best friend,Read More my dad that day.
Ned Hardt June 9, 2013 at 12:54 am
We understand, Bob, it's the new system, not US nor our abilities. Just a shame it takes so long butRead More there HAS been progress. Looks like they need to next work on making the "flag as inappropriate" button work, {sigh} Hey, Margaret, Patch knocked computer off IE AGAIN in the middle of posting this, it's not just you---probably quite a few of us. I know of another website that had similar problems, but finally got it fixed. Hang in there! :-)
Ned Hardt June 9, 2013 at 12:56 am
Only took three tries to get that one to post, haha!
Margaret French June 12, 2013 at 09:23 am
LOL Ned. I am still getting knocked off. I use msn.
Robert Edward Healy, III (Editor) June 5, 2013 at 10:59 am
Baldwin Dad, hang in there with us. We're aware of the issues, and our IT team is working to fixRead More them ASAP.
Margaret French June 6, 2013 at 12:28 am
That is the same message I got for days. It was so frustrating.