Bryan M. Stumler, president of Stumler Excavating, in 1994 claimed a piece of excavating equipment was stolen, but the 1990 Gehl loader was discovered buried on another man's property in Pekin three years later.
Stumler filed the claim with Monroe Guaranty Insurance Co. December 29, 1994 stating a 1990 Gehl loader model SL5625, serial No.8180 was stolen. The affidavit of the case said that, in fact, Stumler had the loader transported away from his business construction site and disposed of.
The affidavit said in July of this year Stumler told Indiana State Police Trooper Delman A. Goss, in the presence of his atty. that he instructed an unnamed individual to use his trailer and dispose of the loader.
Two days later, Stumler reported the equipment stolen to the Floyd County Police Department, In February 1995, Stumler received close to $15,000 in compensation from Monroe Guaranty Insurance Co.
About a month later, the loader was delivered back to him and Stumler proceeded to bury it on his property. Several months later, Stumler reportedly dug the loader up and transported it to property owned by Leroy Kruer in Pekin.
Kruer later discovered it, and the serial number was found to match that of the stolen loader.
George Mouser, a neighbor of Stumler's, said he and other neighbors knew of Stumler's actions before the loader was discovered. He said informants told Floyd County Police about the incident, but nothing was done until Kruer discovered the loader and the Indiana State Police became involved.
The fraud charge is a class D felony. The maximum jail term for the charge is three years.
Source: Tribune Staff Writer
Michelle Wycoff
Freedom of Speech would like to ask: Did this same company do part of the work between 15th and Elm Street along the railroad tracks that continues to cave in?
Has this work on the 15th Street Project finally came back to haunt us?
