Employee waives hearing in theft case

A woman who stole $47,100 worth of checks and cash from Penn State waived her preliminary hearing yesterday at Centre County Courthouse.

Mandi Shirey, 27, who worked in the Intensive English Program office in 301 Boucke, admitted to signing tuition and travelers' checks over to herself and depositing the money into her personal account. She also admitted to stealing cash and tampering with receipts between June 1 and Dec. 7, 2005, according to court documents.

Shirey is charged with 47 counts of forgery and one count each of theft by unlawful taking or disposition, theft by deception, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received, receiving stolen property and misapplication of entrusted property.

Kappa Sigma pledges waive hearings

Two former Kappa Sigma fraternity pledges charged with furnishing alcohol to a girl who fell from a window at Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity waived their preliminary hearings yesterday at Centre County Courthouse.

Christopher Becht and Kyle Knepper, both 22, are charged with furnishing alcohol to minors and unlawful acts related to liquor, malt and brewed beverages and licenses.

The victim was found with serious back and neck injuries outside of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, 346 E. Prospect Ave., at about 5 a.m. Nov. 19.

The Penn State chapter of Kappa Sigma, 225 Highland Ave., was evicted from its house Jan. 8 and has since disbanded.

Laptop taken in break-in at fraternity

Members of Beta Theta Pi fraternity, 220 N. Burrowes St., reported more than $5,000 worth of items were stolen from their fraternity house during winter break. According to the State College Police Department, a $3,000 Dell laptop and two sets of golf clubs totaling $2,400 were reported taken.

Police said they were unsure why the fraternity members waited to report the stolen items.

Man sought in domestic abuse case

The State College Police Department is looking for Chris Sheffey, a 19-year-old man from State College who allegedly punched his ex-girlfriend in the side of the head Tuesday on the 900 block of South Garner Street. Sheffey was already on probation for domestic violence charges when he struck his 18-year-old ex-girlfriend, who checked herself into Mount Nittany Medical Center with head wounds at about noon Tuesday. He is charged with simple assault. Sheffey is described as a black man, 6 feet 3 inches tall, weighing 187 pounds. Anyone with information is asked to call State College police at 234-7150.