Suspected Embezzler Cleared
A longtime Delta County Road Commission employee accused of stealing from his job is acquitted.
55-year-old Hugo Mattonen of Gladstone had been accused of embezzling less than $200.
It involved damaged street signs the road commission owned that were sold for scrap in June.
The commission has used proceeds from scrap metal sales to pay for soft drinks that employees can have at lunch or on breaks.
Mattonen told police he had money from the scrap metal sales on him because he was going to buy the soft drinks the next time he headed into downtown Escanaba.
He was suspended from his job without pay over the issue.
There’s no word on whether he’ll get his job back or if he’ll get any back pay.