Second landman guilty in $2.4M drilling scheme

Second landman guilty in $2.4M drilling scheme

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A second man has pleaded guilty to his role in a $2.4 million scheme to steal natural gas drilling rights from western Pennsylvania property owners.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports 33-year-old Derek Candelore, of Jeannette, must now return for sentencing before a federal judge in Pittsburgh on Jan. 31.

Candelore pleaded guilty today. Twenty-nine-year-old William Ray, of Monroeville, pleaded guilty in September and will return for sentencing Jan. 10.

The men were charged with wire fraud for forging signatures, deeds and other documents to acquire mineral rights to some 40 Washington County properties, which were re-sold to Marcellus Shale drilling firm Range Resources.

Federal prosecutors say Range uncovered the scheme once the company realized its employees were negotiating with different people for drilling rights on some of the same parcels.