Property owner charged in case alleging cover-up of water theft

WARREN -- A Warren man who was accused of stealing water is now charged, along with his daughter, with attempting to cover up the theft.
Philip DeCapito, 75, of Waverly Northwest, pleaded innocent Wednesday before Judge W. Wyatt McKay of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court to charges of forgery, obstructing official business and petty theft in the theft of water in Champion Township. DeCapito was secretly indicted Tuesday.
DeCapito's daughter, Maria Butcher, 42, of Nelson-Mosier Road, Southington, was also secretly indicted on a charge of forgery.
Gary Newbrough, Trumbull County sanitary engineer, said the charges stem from an alleged cover-up.
David Toepfer, an assistant county prosecutor, refused to comment on the case.
DeCapito was charged in 2005 with theft in Warren Municipal Court. That case was dismissed Feb. 13 at the request of the prosecutor.
Newbrough said DeCapito was charged after work crews found that a house he owned on Mahoning Avenue in Champion had a water connection at the road that wasn't metered at the house.
There was also a duplex he owned on Mahoning that had a spigot that bypassed the meter.
Newbrough said he estimated that DeCapito received $3,982 in free water and sanitary sewer fees.