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Parking meter repairman doing more than simple maintenance, authorities say Date published: 4/23/2009
BY KEITH EPPS William Jonas Fell earns $57,800 annually in his job as a parking-meter repairman in Alexandria. Police say the Stafford County resident was taking home a lot more than that, though. Fell, 61, is charged with two counts of embezzlement by a public employee for allegedly stealing at least $170,000 from the meters he was servicing. A large portion of the stolen change was recovered during a recent search of Fell's home at 1008 Aquia Drive in Aquia Harbour, court records show. Fell is scheduled to appear in Alexandria Circuit Court today to set a trial date, a court spokeswoman said. He is currently in jail in Alexandria. According to an affidavit for a search warrant filed in Stafford Circuit Court, an investigation began in December. Officials had noticed a significant drop in the city's parking-meter revenues since Fell started his current job in December 2007, and Fell's supervisor had become suspicious of some of his habits. Bob Garbacz. the supervisor, told police that Fell On Dec. 12, court records state, Garbacz began his own internal investigation and followed Fell when he left the building. He saw Fell drive to Old Town Alexandria. Garbacz was hiding when he heard "activity consistent with the emptying of parking meters," the affidavit states. The activity was especially suspicious because no maintenance or collections are supposed to take place in the dark, the affidavit states. The supervisor then returned to the office and watched Fell drive up and place a plastic bag in his 2008 Ford Mustang. Police were contacted, and Detective Lawrence King conducted his own surveillance on the suspect. On Jan. 21, a hidden camera was placed in the city truck that Fell was using. The hidden camera showed Fell removing canisters from the meters and replacing them with empty canisters he had in a white bag. King determined that Fell was frequently going out on days not designated for collections. Between Jan. 22 and March 16, court records state, similar transactions occurred between one and 24 times a day. A full canister carries about $80 worth of coins, the affidavit states. Police checked Fell's bank account and found no suspicious activity. But at his home, they found thousands of dollars worth of coins in canisters, buckets, in rolls and in a silver box. Court records show that officials initially thought that about $107,520 was pilfered. The search and ongoing investigation turned up much more. The top of a parking meter was also seized from Fell's home, along with paper money in a safe and in plastic bags. Fell was directly indicted by an Alexandria grand jury on April 13, assistant prosecutor Bryan Porter said. He was arrested a few days later. Fell has worked for the city for more than 16 years. He is currently on unpaid leave. Keith Epps: 540/374-5404
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