North Carolina trooper cited for taking $5K in gear from gym

GASTONIA, NC (AP) — A North Carolina State Highway Patrol trooper is accused of stealing $5,000 worth of exercise equipment from a gym before it reopened to the public amid the coronavirus pandemic.

News outlets cited the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office and reported that 44-year-old Jerome John Letcavage was charged with larceny on Saturday.

The trooper is accused of taking weights and resistance bands from a YMCA on Wednesday, three days before it officially reopened.

Gov. Roy Cooper lifted restrictions Friday that had kept such exercise centers closed for months.

A spokesperson told WCNC-TV that Letcavage remains employed with the agency. It’s unclear whether he has an attorney who can comment for him.