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House Painter Accused of Stealing from Homes While on the Job

MONTOURSVILLE — A house painter from Lycoming County faces a possible trial for allegedly stealing credit cards and jewelry from homes where he was workin...
lyc theft barkholz

MONTOURSVILLE -- A house painter from Lycoming County faces a possible trial for allegedly stealing credit cards and jewelry from homes where he was working.

Newswatch 16 spoke with the victims who say they can never get back all of what was stolen.

Those homeowners from the Montoursville area tell Newswatch 16 they trusted, Chicane Barkholz from Trout Run when they hired him to do painting inside their homes. Now they say that trust was misplaced.

Chicane Barkholz, 22, of Trout Run covered his face while walking out of a magistrate's office in Montoursville. He gave up his right to a hearing on theft charges.

State police say that over the past month, Barkholz took credit cards and thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry from two homes near Montoursville, homes that a contractor had hired him paint.

“I feel very saddened that someone took advantage of us like this," said one woman from Fairfield Township.

A couple did not feel safe giving their names or showing their faces on camera. They say Barkholz stole about $7,000 worth of jewelry from their home in Fairfield Township near Montoursville.

"I just went to get dressed for work one day and put jewelry on and that's when I realized it was all gone,” said the victim.

Court papers say Barkholz took some of that jewelry to an antique store in Williamsport to try to sell it for cash. The owners of the jewelry say they are not sure if they will ever be able to replace what was taken from them.

"We can't replace a lot of it and that's the stuff that has memory."

"I feel pretty awful because I've always been a trusting person and I've always had workers come to my home," said a woman from Loyalsock Township.

Another woman wasn't comfortable going on camera either. That woman says Barkholz was hired to do some painting at her home in Loyalsock Township and stole six credit cards.

"I had them stowed away in a drawer under some things. So, come to find out he was ravaging through my drawers," said one victim.

State police say Barkholz racked up nearly $5,000 in charges on the stolen cards. They say he was caught on camera at the Wal-Mart in Montoursville using one of the cards to buy a TV.

"It's almost like a robber came in when you're not home, and stole from you," said one victim.

Barkholz faces several charges including identify theft and felony theft charges. He is in Lycoming County prison.

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