Sunday, February 17, 2013
Len Novak and Stephen Bonetti are charged with misusing approximately $25K from the Pennsylvania firemen's relief fund.
A pretrial conference on Friday for Leonard "Len" Novak and Stephen Bonetti has resulted in a non-jury trial for the two men. The trial is scheduled to begin on April 22 at the Allegheny County Courthouse. In August, the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office charged Novak and Bonetti, chief and deputy chief, respectively, of the Becks Run Volunteer Fire Department in north Baldwin Borough, with misusing approximately $25,000 from the Pennsylvania firemen's relief fund over an approximately five-year period. According to an affidavit, investigators believe that Novak and Bonetti misappropriated the money by using it instead for personal expenses, including the cashing of checks at C.J. Chugs bar on Custer Avenue and Dean's Beer …
40.438787
-79.997136
437 Grant St, Pittsburgh, PA
Allegheny County Courthouse
/articles/becks-run-firemen-will-face-non-jury-trial
/locations/8830310
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Novak and Bonetti will have a pretrial conference at the Allegheny County Courthouse on Feb. 15.
UPDATE: The result of Novak and Bonetti's formal arraignment is a pretrial conference at the Allegheny County Courthouse scheduled for Feb. 15. ... District Judge Robert Wyda waived for court on Friday all 24 combined charges against Becks Run firefighters Leonard "Len" Novak and Stephen Bonetti, pushing their case onto a formal arraignment at the Allegheny County Courthouse on Jan. 8. Wyda, the magistrate for Upper St. Clair Township and Bethel Park, oversaw Novak and Bonetti's preliminary hearing because District Judge John N. Bova of Baldwin Borough has recused himself from their case. A judge may recuse him or herself from a case should he or she feel a conflict of interest with any of the participating parties, or have some other …
40.33297
-80.03111
5100 W Library Ave, Bethel Park, PA
District Judge Robert Wyda's Office
/articles/becks-run-firemen-s-charges-all-waived-for-court
/locations/8554750
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Scott's replacement was an ineligible appointment. Also, more borough appointments and other notes to report.
Ann Scott Returns Former longtime Baldwin Borough municipal employee Ann Scott's replacement on the borough's all-volunteer Civil Service Commission in April should never have been appointed. The Baldwin Council officially recognized that mistake in October when it accepted the resignation of her replacement—James Behers. As a state constable, Behers was ineligible for a spot on the Civil Service Commission, something that no council member was aware of when he was appointed. At a meeting on Tuesday night, the council brought Scott back to the commission with a narrow, 4-3 vote, and she will serve there again until at least the end of April 2018. Behers' appointment in April was also met with a 4-3 controversy. Voting for Behers over Scott…
40.383751
-79.956454
Baldwin Borough Municipal Complex
3344 Churchview Ave, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/baldwin-council-appoints-new-officials
1253439
/locations/8417952
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Action at Tuesday night's borough meeting could mark the end for Becks Run.
While its chief and deputy chief await a formal Allegheny County arraignment for embezzlement charges, the Becks Run Volunteer Fire Department was officially decertified by the Baldwin Borough Council on Tuesday night. The council voted, 6-0, to approve the decertification, which terminates all authority previously granted to the department to perform duties associated with a volunteer fire department and revokes its official status as a volunteer fire department serving the borough. (Councilman Ed Moeller was absent for the vote but arrived later at Tuesday's meeting.) In light of the embezzlement charges, brought because Chief Leonard "Len" Novak and Deputy Chief Stephen Bonetti allegedly misused approximately $25,000 in public funds, …
40.383751
-79.956454
Baldwin Borough Municipal Complex
3344 Churchview Ave, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/becks-run-fire-department-decertified
1253439
/locations/8370130
40.409588
-79.962642
Becks Run Volunteer Fire Department
801 Becks Run Rd, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/becks-run-fire-department-decertified
1842152
/locations/8370131
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
The magistrate for Upper St. Clair and Bethel Park will now hear the case.
The preliminary hearing for the embezzlement case involving the former fire chief and deputy fire chief of the Becks Run Volunteer Fire Department was continued on Monday. The hearing was rescheduled for 9 a.m. on Nov. 16 in front of District Judge Robert Wyda, the magistrate for Upper St. Clair Township and Bethel Park. District Judge John N. Bova of Baldwin Borough recused himself from the case. A judge may recuse him or herself from a case should he or she feel a conflict of interest with any of the participating parties, or have some other legitimate reason. Leonard "Len" Novak and Stephen Bonetti, chief and deputy chief, respectively, were charged in August with misusing approximately $25,000 from the Pennsylvania firemen's relief …
40.33297
-80.03111
5100 W Library Ave, Bethel Park, PA
District Judge Robert Wyda's Office
/articles/judge-bova-recuses-himself-from-becks-run-fire-case
/locations/8107926
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
'Right now, we really don't know (how the funds are spent).' - borough Manager John Barrett
Less than three weeks after the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office charged two Baldwin Borough firemen with misusing approximately $25,000 from the Pennsylvania firemen's relief fund, the Baldwin Borough Council has begun discussing new auditing practices for its four fire companies. Though no specific mention was made during Tuesday night's council meeting of the embezzlement charges facing the chief and deputy chief of the Becks Run Volunteer Fire Department, the council members' discussion centered around preventing just such alleged fraud from happening again. During his administrative report, Baldwin Manager John Barrett suggested ways that borough administration could "better safeguard those public funds, or at least, try to…
40.383751
-79.956454
Baldwin Borough Municipal Complex
3344 Churchview Ave, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/baldwin-boro-council-reviews-firefighters-funding
1253439
/locations/8107927
Friday, August 24, 2012
Novak and Bonetti are accused of misusing approximately $25,000 over approximately five years, including the cashing of checks at a Baldwin bar and beer distributor.
Leonard "Len" Novak and Stephen Bonetti, chief and deputy chief, respectively, of the Becks Run Volunteer Fire Department in north Baldwin Borough, turned themselves in to police on Friday morning at the Wallace Building office of District Magistrate John N. Bova. Novak, 48, of Churchview Avenue, and Bonetti, 43, of Pleasantvue Drive, are being charged with misusing approximately $25,000 from the Pennsylvania firemen's relief fund over an approximately five-year period, Baldwin police Chief Michael Scott said. The fund is made up of state money, part of which is set aside for use by Baldwin's four fire companies to purchase equipment and services. According to an affidavit, investigators believe that Novak and Bonetti misappropriated the …
40.356599
-79.964193
Wallace Building
41 Macek Dr, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/becks-run-fire-chief-deputy-chief-arrested-for-embezzling-funds
1253594
/locations/8107928
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
A public meeting on Tuesday brought out various ideas for increasing participation and revenue.
Lack of attendance at its 2012 Community Day celebration led the Baldwin Borough Council to hold a public meeting on Tuesday night in order to generate ideas for drawing bigger crowds in future years. The council turned to the experts themselves—community members—to find out how to make the event better for everyone. And at the meeting, residents, council members and the Community Day committee brainstormed about several different solutions to the attendance problem, including adding new events like a carnival, a swimming tournament and/or performances by schoolchildren. "We all want it to be the best possible community function it can be," said Councilman Ed Moeller, who has been appointed to oversee the Community Day committee. "It's …
40.383751
-79.956454
Baldwin Borough Municipal Complex
3344 Churchview Ave, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/baldwin-council-asks-how-do-we-make-community-day-more-fun
1253439
/locations/7903084
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Funds will be split based on redrawn service areas, starting Jan. 1.
He never intended it to end this way, but South Baldwin Volunteer Fire President Chad Hurka watched the Baldwin Borough Council decide by a unanimous vote on Tuesday night to redraw the service area lines for its four fire departments. Officially, the council voted to redistribute borough funding for those departments—starting Jan. 1—but that funding will be based on those new service areas, which must be drawn by Jan. 1, as well. Hurka approached the Baldwin Council during an October 2011 borough meeting to ask for more municipal funds to operate his department more effectively. Since then, the council has gotten more and more serious about changing its fire funding practices, culminating with Tuesday's action. "When I approached Council…
40.383751
-79.956454
Baldwin Borough Municipal Complex
3344 Churchview Ave, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/baldwin-council-decides-to-redistribute-fire-funding
1253439
/locations/6823882
Thursday, April 12, 2012
'It's not the idea to save money. It's the idea to give a better service.' - Baldwin Mayor Alexander Bennett
The end may be near for the Becks Run Volunteer Fire Department, as Baldwin Borough leaders are expected to vote on possibly dramatically slashing funding to that department at the next Baldwin Council meeting on April 17. That council meeting will be held at the borough municipal auditorium along Churchview Avenue at 7:30 p.m., and Baldwin residents will have the chance to speak publicly to borough council members before they make any decision on Tuesday. Audience comments will be welcomed at the start of the meeting. What the Baldwin Council is officially expected to decide on Tuesday is how much borough money will be allocated to each of Baldwin's four fire stations—Becks Run, Option Independent Fire Company, South Baldwin Volunteer …
40.383751
-79.956454
Baldwin Borough Municipal Complex
3344 Churchview Ave, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/baldwin-council-to-decide-on-fire-station-funding-on-april-17
1253439
/locations/6823875
Margaret French
10:41 am on Tuesday, February 19, 2013
He needs to change that license plate. Change that "C" to a "T." more ›