Two officials with the Anson-Madison Water District have been charged with theft, after an investigation led officials to believe they had made profit off of scrap metal that belonged to the district.
Superintendent Michael Corson, 52, of Madison and foreman Michael Jordan, 31, of North Anson are accused of selling old water lines to a scrap metal dealer and pocketing the proceeds, according to the Morning Sentinel.
The Somerset County Sheriff’s Office received a tip in October saying that Corson and Jordan were suspected of selling the scrap metal that belonged to the district, and that the profit from the metal was not transferred to official accounts.
Between March and October, the men made 21 transactions, with the profit from the sales split between Corson and Jordan, the Kennebec newspaper reported.
The men are also accused of using district-owned construction equipment to transport the scrap metal to the sale site. The amount of profit from the sales was not disclosed.
Whether Corson or Jordan are still employed by the water district was not clear on Monday, according to the Sentinel.
The charges of Class C theft, which involves property between $1,000 and $9,999 in value, is punishable by up to 5 year in prison.
Both Corson and Jordan are set to appear in court on Feb. 16.