A Jefferson man accused of stealing thousands of dollars through fraudulent means from a local salvage yard has been scheduled for trial in September. According to Carroll County District Court records, 32-year-old Eric Franklin Van Sumple pled not guilty last week to two counts of second-degree theft, a class D felony, and one count of fourth-degree theft, a serious misdemeanor. The charges stem from a Carroll County Sheriff’s Office investigation that found Van Sumple, who was employed by Quandt’s Auto Salvage, allegedly falsified scale measurements and pocketed the payout difference. Authorities say this happened on at least two occasions totaling nearly $5,000. Following Van Sumple’s not-guilty plea, a judge signed an order scheduling his trial to commence on Sept. 12 with a pretrial conference slated for Aug. 24. The charges carry a combined maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison and $16,875 in fines.
