Incident at Morgan Truck Body
At approximately 5:15 a.m. on August 19, a box truck entered the premises of Morgan Truck Body without going through the standard check-in area for drivers. An employee, operating a forklift, appeared to be waiting for the truck’s arrival, as revealed by investigators.
This employee, later identified as Thomas J. Kaiser, dismounted the forklift and opened the rear roll-up door of the Penske truck. He then began loading the truck with five diesel-powered cooling units intended for refrigerated trailers.
Kaiser was formally trained as a forklift operator, but his primary role at the truck trailer manufacturer was administrative, according to his supervisor who spoke to the police.
The entire incident, as reported by company officials, lasted only a few minutes and deviated significantly from normal operational protocols. There was a noticeable lack of communication between Kaiser and the truck driver, who left shortly after arriving.
Additionally, Morgan Truck Body seldom loads box trucks. Typically, drivers must present necessary paperwork upon arrival before being instructed to back up to a loading dock for proper loading procedures.
Surveillance footage showed Kaiser loading the units in a careless manner. It was noted that he arrived at work 30 minutes prior to the start of his shift and “staged” the units in the yard. He left around 8 a.m., which was five hours earlier than his usual time, and did not return for his shift the following Monday. He submitted his resignation electronically, leading to the discovery of the theft of five cooling units valued at $252,000, as detailed in the criminal complaint by Detective Sgt. Chad Eberly.
When Detective Eberly attempted to contact Kaiser on that Monday, he was directed to speak with Kaiser’s lawyer. On Wednesday, Kaiser, age 37, from Reiffton, was formally charged with felony conspiracy to commit theft. He was released to await a hearing following his arraignment before District Judge Michael D. Kaufman in Birdsboro. The driver of the truck, identified as Kendra Lliteras, 30, from Reading, was similarly charged and remained free pending a hearing after her Wednesday night arraignment before District Judge Kyley L. Scott in Reading Central Court. As of now, the stolen equipment has not been recovered, according to investigators.
