MARIJUANA DISAPPEARANCE SPURS FEDERAL PROBE

Federal authorities are investigating the disappearance of an unspecified
amount of marijuana from the Plum police department, police said Tuesday.

Plum police Sgt. Matthew Feldmeier, the department's acting supervisor in
charge, said the marijuana was seized in an "old case" but would not say how
much of the drug is missing.

"The federal (authorities) are looking into it," Feldmeier said. "They are
handling it."

This is the third case of missing evidence brought to light this year.
Previously, police discovered that a .38-caliber revolver and a .45- caliber
handgun were missing. Plum police Sgt. Andrew McNelis is accused of
receiving stolen property in relation to the .45-caliber handgun. The
.38-caliber revolver is still missing.

Feldmeier said the marijuana was not in the evidence area when officers
moved evidence earlier this year into what he called a more secure area.
Within the past six weeks, officers who were cross- referencing their
paperwork on cases with the evidence contained in the locker determined that
the marijuana was missing, Feldmeier said

Although Feldmeier declined to disclose the case from which the missing
marijuana originated, the department has had large amounts of marijuana in
evidence. In May 2000, Plum police intercepted a 50-pound shipment of
marijuana sent from Los Angeles and addressed to a home along Shangri La
Circle in Plum. The marijuana, in brick-shaped bundles, was shipped in two
25-pound boxes.

Feldmeier said officers discovered the revolver was missing when they
conducted an inventory of the evidence ledger. The disappearance was
revealed during testimony at McNelis' preliminary hearing in June.

Feldmeier said the revolver was involved in the robbery at a CoGo's in Plum
and was found outside the store after the robbery.

"The state police don't have much to go on because there was no serial
number on the gun," Feldmeier said.

Feldmeier said that with the changes made in the handling and storage of
evidence, he does not anticipate any more problems.

At McNelis' preliminary hearing, Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Julian
Lenoir testified that he discovered "structural problems" with the
department's evidence handling while investigating the disappearance of the
.45-caliber handgun,

Feldmeier said that shortly after he was placed in charge in January, the
evidence was inventoried and moved to a more secure area. Feldmeier also
said procedures were tightened so that he and Plum police Sgt. Jeff
Armstrong are the only ones with keys to the evidence area. Previously, six
sergeants had keys, he said.