All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

Man arrested for allegedly attempting to steal lumber from W.Va. Split Rail in April

Brugnoli

BUCKHANNON – A Harrison County man was arrested last week for allegedly attempting to steal lumber from West Virginia Split Rail in April.

Michael Brugnoli, 48, of Hepzibah W.Va., was arrested Tuesday, Nov. 5 for entry of a building other than a dwelling, a felony, according to West Virginia Code 61-3-12.

According to the criminal complaint filed in the Upshur County Magistrate Clerk’s Office by investigating officer Sgt. Tom Posey with the Buckhannon Police Department, on April 21, 2019 Posey responded to West Virginia Split Rail on Lumber Street in reference to an attempted car theft and breaking-and-entering incident.

According to the report, a worker found Brugnoli allegedly loading stolen items from W.Va. Split Rail into his vehicle. The worker “made him unload the items” and he allegedly left in a gold car with stolen lumber sticking out of the windows, according to the file.

Brugnoli’s daughter reportedly gave Posey a videotaped statement saying Brugnoli had entered the building at W.Va. Split Rail and allegedly stolen the lumber. He was also allegedly going to steal the worker’s vehicle, the complaint says. The lumber was confiscated and returned to Split Rail.

Bail was set as $6,000 by the magistrate court in Harrison County.

If convicted, Brugnoli faces confinement for less than one year and not more than 10 years.

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