For the second time, Robert D. Schappell entered a plea Wednesday to charges he defrauded a Schuylkill Haven automobile dealer of more than $200,000 by taking money for cars he never delivered.
Schappell, 43, of Pottsville, pleaded guilty to 21 counts of theft by deception, with prosecutors withdrawing 21 counts each of theft and receiving stolen property.
In a separate case, Schappell, formerly of Deer Lake, pleaded guilty to a bad check charge.
However, Judge Jacqueline L. Russell did not immediately sentence Schappell.
First Assistant District Attorney Maria T. Casey said the plea agreement, under which Schappell would be sentenced to serve nine to 18 months in prison, is conditioned on Schappell making full restitution. Russell agreed to delay sentencing by up to 90 days to give Schappell time to pay it.
“Is this something I should expect to happen, or is this just a waste of everyone’s time?” Russell asked Allan L. Sodomsky, Reading, Schappell’s lawyer. “Why waste the time ... if it’s meaningless?”
“I certainly hope it’s not a waste of my time,” Sodomsky answered.
Prosecutors and Schappell agreed that the total restitution the defendant owes is $226,050, $202,050 in the theft case and $24,000 in the bad check case.
Schuylkill Haven borough police charged Schappell, formerly of Deer Lake, with taking $202,500 from Bruce Stidham, owner of Bruce’s Auto Mall in the borough, in exchange for Corvettes and other vehicles. Schappell neither provided Stidham with any vehicles, nor did he refund any money to him, police said.
In the other case, state police at Schuylkill Haven charged him with bad checks, alleging he passed a bad check on Nov. 1, 2013.
Casey said the victims have consented to the plea agreement.
Schappell had pleaded no contest to all charges, including the ones withdrawn on Wednesday, in each case on Oct. 17, 2014. By pleading no contest, Schappell did not admit committing the crimes but offered no defense to them, agreed that prosecutors had sufficient evidence to prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of all charges and agreed to be sentenced as if he had pleaded or been found guilty.
However, Schappell withdrew that plea on Dec. 15.
In October, prosecutors withdrew three other sets of charges against Schappell. At that time, District Attorney Christine A. Holman said Schappell paid full restitution in those cases and the alleged victims agreed to the withdrawals.
Defendant: Robert D. Schappell
Age: 43
Residence: Pottsville, formerly of Deer Lake
Crimes committed: 21 counts of theft by deception and one of bad checks