Alleged scrap thieves sign up for direct accountability program

Louis Tam

June 6, 2012

A pair of alleged thieves caught in botched scrap theft last month made a brief court appearance in Bracebridge last week.
The two men were arrested in late March after reportedly trying to steal a boat battery from Window Works in Gravenhurst. A shop employee who attempted to stop their getaway quickly phoned police with the licence plate number of the van they were driving. Police pulled over the van in Bracebridge a short time later. Inside, police found about 300 to 400 pounds of scrap metal and materials worth just under $100, including outboard motors and other batteries.
Attila Horvath, 23, and Peter Zdraviak, 32, were arrested and charged in connection with the case. Both men stood silently on May 29 as they listened to court proceedings through a Hungarian translator.
Though the court has pencilled both men in for a future court appearance on Aug. 28, Horvath and Zdraviak have agreed to participate in a direct accountability program.
The program provides first-time offenders charged with minor, non-violent crimes with an alternative to a guilty verdict, usually in exchange for certain actions. The program can involve having participants take responsibility for their actions through restitution, like performing community service, undergoing counselling, or through offering an apology to the victims of a crime.
If successfully completed, the charges will be withdrawn and will not appear on a criminal record.