Canfield mechanic arrested in thefts

The items taken are valued at more than $1,600.

By DENISE DICK

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

CANFIELD — The school board accepted the resignation of a 19-year school bus mechanic who’s accused of taking numerous items from the bus garage.

He also told police he’s been taking things off school property for his personal use since he first started working for the district.

Lawrence Lynn, 46, of Raccoon Road, surrendered to city police Tuesday on a warrant accusing him of felony theft.

He is to appear Friday in Mahoning County Area Court here.

The school board accepted his resignation, effective Sept. 10, at a special meeting Wednesday.

Lynn is accused of taking six tires, valued at $235 each; two headlamps, valued at $12.95 each; and a gallon of exterior paint used for buses that costs about $170.

Police also found a box of towels and hand and all-purpose cleaner that came from the school district at Lynn’s house.

Lynn couldn’t be reached to comment.

According to a police report, Richard Archer, school district business manager, received phone calls from an unidentified man saying that Lynn had taken the tires, paint and gas.

The caller said Lynn had the six tires on a truck that he was fixing.

Superintendent Dante Zambrini said an internal investigation was ongoing when Archer received the phone call.

Discrepancy revealed

An inventory and purchase order comparison conducted regularly by the district showed a discrepancy for the number of tires and prompted the investigation.

“An investigation was conducted, a person was identified, the police were called in as necessary and required, he [Lynn] has tendered his resignation and we have closure,” Zambrini said.

The comparison, conducted monthly and annually, examines what’s purchased, how much and how often, he said.

“I feel very confident that the situation was handled as any other business would have handled it,” Zambrini said.

The district bought the tires last month.

When school officials initially contacted Lynn, he said he bought the tires.

He eventually acknowledged he had taken four tires but said he was going to pay for them when he returned from vacation, police said.

When contacted by police, Lynn told them that he took the tires and planned to replace them when he got the money.

He also admitted taking the headlamps and the paint.

He said he had used his personal truck to transport the tires from the garage to his home.

Zambrini said Lynn will make restitution to the district.

Lynn also told police that he has taken property from the district since his first year of employment.

Zambrini said that it’s possible small consumable items, such as hand soap, were taken as Lynn had access to the bus garage before and after hours.

Such consumable items are more difficult to track, but the regular inventories hadn’t raised red flags before the latest investigation, the superintendent said.