MINERSVILLE - Minersville police refiled charges against a borough man arrested last month for having a stolen AK-47 semi-automatic rifle in his possession.
In addition, police also filed charges against the former girlfriend of the victim for her role in the alleged theft.
Patrolman Jeffrey Bowers charged Michael A. Eckert, 20, of 201 N. Fourth St., with receiving stolen property and theft by unlawful taking, both felony offenses.
Amy Heffner, 38, whose last known address was 470 Lewis St., Minersville, was also charged with felony offenses of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.
Bowers said police will obtain a warrant for Eckert's arrest while Heffner will receive a summons in the mail.
Eckert was originally charged with receiving stolen property and firearms not to be carried without a license. Those charges were withdrawn Thursday prior to his preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon, to allow the filing of the theft charge and also because of more information provided by witnesses.
Eckert was charged following an investigation by Bowers, Minersville police Chief Michael Combs and Pottsville police into the Oct. 14 theft of weapons and silver coins owned by Joseph Thompson from his 470 Lewis St. home.
Thompson, who was hospitalized at the time, suspected his live-in girlfriend, Heffner, stole his Norinco AK-47 semi-automatic rifle and a Colt .38-calibre pistol, as well as about $2,000 in silver coins, Bowers said.
The investigation revealed that on Oct. 12 Heffner tried to sell the AK-47 to a confidential informant for $200 along with several other weapons, including antique rifles, Bowers said.
A few days later, Bowers said, the informant reported contacting Heffner regarding the AK-47 and was told by the woman that she tried to sell it to Eckert since they first spoke and that he took the gun without paying her for it.
Heffner told the informant that she wanted to sell the gun to pay her rent if she was able to get it back from Eckert, Bowers said.
Then, several days later, Bowers said Eckert contacted the informant looking for heroin. The informant asked Eckert about the weapon. Bowers said Eckert told the informant he took the AK-47 from Heffner with no intention of paying her and that he wanted sell it or trade it for heroin.
On Oct. 28, Bowers said an arrangement was made to have the informant purchase the weapon from Eckert. The informant then drove Eckert to a home on Old Llewellyn Road where Combs was watching.
Eckert entered the home and exited with the AK-47 wrapped in a white towel, placed it in the back seat and drove back to Minersville with another man, Bowers said.
Bowers said that he initiated a traffic stop in the unit block of South Third Street and found Eckert as a passenger and the stolen AK-47 weapon with a 30-round banana clip in the back seat still wrapped in a white towel.
Eckert was taken to the borough police station and read his Miranda Rights after which he admitted getting the weapon from Heffner with the intention of selling it for $200.