TimesLeader.com

September 27, 2008

Formal arrest? Man charged with taking tuxedos

Cops: Man took suits from Sarno & Son, sold them to Tuxedo Junction.

By Edward Lewis elewis@timesleader.com
Staff Writer

SCRANTON – A shipping supervisor at Sarno & Son Formal Wear stole tuxedos, business suits and other apparel accessories and sold them to a competing business in Hanover Township and Dickson City, Lackawanna County authorities said Friday.

John Joseph Vermack, 45, of Lake Ariel, was charged with theft, receiving stolen property, criminal conspiracy to commit theft and criminal conspiracy to commit receiving stolen property. He surrendered on the charges at the Scranton office of District Judge Alyce M. Farrell and was released without bail.

The criminal complaint accuses Vermack of stealing approximately $50,000 in formal wear from Sarno & Son and selling the clothing to Tuxedo Junction stores in Hanover Township and Dickson City.

Authorities said Vermack was receiving $300 a week, and the thefts took place over six years.

Additional charges and arrests may be forthcoming, police said.

Authorities searched the Hanover Township and Dickson City stores of Tuxedo Junction last Friday, seizing tuxedos, business suits and accessories suspected of being stolen from Sarno & Son Formal Wear, according to search warrant affidavits.

The searches were the result of a report by Sarno & Son in early September that it was missing Calvin Klein tuxedos and After-Six business suits shortly after receiving approximately $2 million in new inventory in March.

According to the criminal complaint filed by Lackawanna County detectives Thomas Davis and Chris Kolcharno:

Robert Riviello, an owner of Tuxedo Junction, told authorities he had been purchasing tuxedos, business suits and accessories from Vermack in exchange for $300 a week for six years.

Riviello believed the items he was buying from Vermack, the criminal complaint says, were going to be discarded. He was introduced to Vermack by Michael Pantano, an owner of Tuxedo Junction in Hanover Township, believing he was buying the apparel for half-price, the criminal complaint says.

Authorities seized two truckloads of apparel from the two Tuxedo Junction locations.

A Sarno & Son employee told authorities that Vermack called him on Monday requesting to remove a box from a certain Sarno & Son delivery van.

After the box was retrieved, authorities said it contained stolen merchandise from the Sarno & Son Formal Wear warehouse, the criminal complaint says.

Authorities learned that unmarked boxes containing merchandise were often delivered to the Hanover Township location of Tuxedo Junction.