Two Indiana County residents were among four people arrested last weekend for looting in North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Florence.
Police in Holly Ridge, which is near the coast on U.S. Highway 17, were called to a Speedway gas station on Sunday by witnesses who said people using a chain saw were trying to break into the gas station. On arrival, they found Nicholas Shaffer of Penn Hills, Brian Cosgrove of Bethlehem, and the two Indiana County natives, Nicholas Leone of Smicksburg and Casey Hartzell of Marion Center.
The four are pictured on the Holly Ridge Police department Facebook page. They’re accused of stealing cigarettes and other tobacco products. Leone is charged with conspiracy to burglary and possession of stolen goods, both felonies. Hartzell is charged with felony conspiracy, and all of the suspects are charged with misdemeanor drug violations.
The four suspects were working for a Georgia company that was supposed to be helping with the cleanup from storm damage. They had chain saws and a bobcat vehicle with them.
