Murrysville Silver-Smuggler Couple JailedValuable Metal Stolen From Electrical PlantPOSTED: 12:21 pm EDT June 30, 2009 GREENSBURG, Pa. -- A husband and wife from Loyalhanna Township will do time for smuggling an estimated millions of dollars worth of scrap silver out of a Murrysville plant in their lunch boxes.Westmoreland County Judge Debra Pezze on Monday sentenced Pamela Shermenti, 52, to one to two years in the county prison, and William Shermenti, 57, was ordered to serve nine to 23 months.The couple must also pay $250,000 in restitution to AMI DOCUCO, the electrical plant where they worked.WTAE Channel 4's news exchange partners at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that Assistant District Attorney Pete Flanigan said the silver was worth $2.1 million, and he asked the judge for tougher sentences to send a message.Pezze decided to impose sentences that were within the standard range because the Shermentis had no prior criminal records and pleaded no contest and did not proceed with a costly trial.Police said the silver, in pieces about the size of hockey pucks, was stolen from 2006 to 2008. Some of the scrap was sold to a dealer for about $600,000.The Shermentis must begin serving their sentences on July 6.
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