News

October 15, 2007

Candidate: Hundreds of signs are stolen

Mike Savokinas estimates cost of the lost signs to be between $2,000 and $5,000.

JEREMY GRAD grad@timesleader.com

The Democratic candidate for Luzerne County sheriff said hundreds of his campaign signs were stolen Saturday night or early Sunday.

Mike Savokinas, who said his signs are missing, estimates cost of the lost signs to be between $2,000 and $5,000.

The Luzerne County Sheriff’s Department, however, was not made aware of the alleged theft.

Deputy Sheriff John Chaumpi was on call during the weekend and said he had “no idea about it, not a clue. No one made me aware of it.”

Savokinas said Sunday night he reported the alleged theft to five local police departments, including Pittston and West Pittston.

An officer at the Pittston Police Department, who refused to identify himself, said “to my knowledge we have no report of that. There’s nothing to investigate.”

Carrie Gula, a patrol officer with the West Pittston police, said an investigation is being conducted there.

She said that the area where the signs were stolen will receive extra patrols.

“Three weeks before an election to lose that number of signs, it is a setback,” Savokinas said.

“Whoever did it went into yards,” Savokinas said. “Signs were taken from right-of-ways.”

Signs as large as 4 feet by 8 feet are missing, as are approximately 250 yard signs, Savokinas said.

“Our campaign is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to a conviction of whoever did it,” Savokinas said.

Jeremy Grad, a Times Leader staff writer, can be reached at 829-7210.

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