Cranberry Township Man Faces Charges Related to Selling Stolen Musical Instruments

A 23-year-old Cranberry Township man will stand trial on charges related to pawning or trying to pawn $4,460 in stolen musical instruments and equipment at Waddell's Music Center in Pine Township.

Jeremy Joseph Sturgeon waived his preliminary hearing Wednesday before Magisterial District Judge William K. Wagner. His case now moves to the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas.

Sturgeon is charged with felony counts of receiving stolen property and criminal conspiracy and a misdemeanor count of prohibited acts/possession of drug paraphernalia.

police officers arrested Sturgeon and 23-year-old Tyler Bruce Smith, also of Cranberry Township, on Jan. 16 at Waddell's on Perry Highway in Wexford.

A preliminary hearing for Smith is scheduled for March 21 before Wagner. He also is charged with felony counts of receiving stolen property and conspiracy and a misdemeanor count of prohibited acts/possession of drug paraphernalia.

Waddell's owner, Gary Waddell, told police Jan. 11 that a Pittsburgh man told him about musical equipment that had been stolen from hishome, the criminal complaint states.

Pittsburgh detectives brought the man to Waddell's Music Center on Jan. 12, and he identified guitars, drums, cymbals and other equipment as his property, the complaint states.

Sturgeon and Smith sold the items to the store on Dec. 30, Jan. 6 and 10, according to police.

A Waddell's  employee told Northern Regional police on Jan. 16 that the men were in the store trying to sell more music equipment, the complaint said.

The officers found the men had equipment belonging to the Pittsburgh man; they also had two hypodermic needles, a spoon and five stamp bags labeled "See No Evil," the complaint states.

"Smith and Sturgeon were arrested and transported to (the Northern Regional) station. They admitted they knew the items were stolen. There were 15 items sold or attempted to be sold to Waddell's Music Center for a total value of $4,460," according to the complaint.