According to court documents filed by the Pennsylvania State Police at Frackville, Mark Macaluso, 45, of Mahanoy City, has been charged with theft by deception and receiving stolen property.
Troopers say the incident occurred on February 25, 2026, at a Conoco station along Morea Road in Mahanoy Township. Police were dispatched to the location for a reported theft and spoke with an employee of the store.
The employee told investigators that Macaluso entered the store earlier that morning and later claimed that one of the skill game machines had taken $50 from him. She then provided him with $50 before he left the store.
However, upon reviewing surveillance footage, the employee discovered that Macaluso had never inserted any money into the machine. Further verification from the company responsible for maintaining the machines confirmed that there was no record of a $50 deposit on the date in question.
State Police reviewed the surveillance footage and determined it supported the employee’s account. During the investigation, troopers identified Macaluso through law enforcement tips, driver’s license records, and social media images, which they said matched the individual seen in the footage.
Macaluso is charged with one count of theft by deception (false impression) and one count of receiving stolen property, both graded as second-degree misdemeanors.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 16, 2026, before Magisterial District Judge Anthony Kilker.