Oct 8, 2007

Former Hardy wife reports jewelry theft

Debra Hardy-Ucman, a former wife of 84 Lumber Co. founder and billionaire Joseph A. Hardy, has accused her current husband, Paul Ucman, of stealing more than $5 million in jewelry from a safe in the couple's Rostraver Township home.

Rostraver Township police officer Rich Beranek filed charges of theft by unlawful taking or disposition late Saturday against Paul Ucman, 43, of Debbie Lane, Belle Vernon.

Beranek said an arrest warrant for Paul Ucman was issued by District Justice Bernice McCutcheon of Vandergift.

Ucman is accused to stealing $5 million in jewelry, including a 20-karat diamond ring valued at $650,000, a 100-karat diamond necklace valued at $500,000, a Piage watch valued at about $85,000 and an 18-karat presidential Rolex watch valued at $100,000, according to an affidavit of probable cause that was issued by Beranek.

At presstime, Beranek said the jewelry was being inventoried and valued in an effort to determine exactly what was missing.

Beranek conducted interviews and an on scene investigation at the home located at 2 Debbie Lane Wednesday, the affidavit said.

Through his investigation, Beranek said, in the affidavit, that he discovered that in the early hours of Sept. 27 Ucman was ordered to leave the residence and not to return. Beranek explained that Debra Hardy-Ucman and her husband are currently in the process of getting a divorce.

The following day on Sept. 28, the homeowner, Debra Hardy-Ucman and her niece, Tracy Antanovich, reported that they told Paul Ucman that they were leaving the residence, Beranek said. Hardy and Anatanovich left around 3:30 p.m. Sept. 28.

According to the affidavit, surveillance of the residence showed Paul Ucman arriving at about 3:49 p.m. The surveillance showed that he went into the victim's bedroom alone, where Debra Hardy-Ucman's safes are located.

"The door to the safes were secure and were not forcibly entered," Beranek said in the affidavit. "Ucman placed a petroleum jelly substance over a security camera covering the area of the safes."

Ucman was reportedly alone in the victim's bedroom from 3:53 to 4:09 p.m.

"He was caught on camera leaving the bedroom with a Nemacolin (Woodlands Resort) bag that was reported by the victim to have been in the room with the safes," Beranek said.
Source: heraldstandard

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