SYRACUSE -- For at least the last year, Syracuse Police say a city worker was stealing from his workplace and selling the brass fire hydrant nozzles and selling them. The thefts happened at the City Water Department at 101 North Beech Streee. The suspect, Christopher Smorol, 29, is charged with Grand Larceny 3rd. Investigators say the minimum amount of the theft is valued at $16,000.00.
The Water Department reported the thefts on Wednesday of this week. The investigation reveled Smorol has scrapped the brass hydrant nozzles on numerous occasions over the past year at the Empire/Syracuse Recycling center on Peat Street in Syracuse.
The Water Department will conduct an audit on the equipment to determine if any other thefts had occurred.
