SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — A mountain bike, bows and arrows, tools, kayak paddles and even a cast-iron skillet were some of the items allegedly stolen by a former park ranger.

John E. McAvoy Jr., 52, of Slippery Rock Township is accused of taking the property belonging to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources between 2013 and 2017 while he worked at Cook Forest State Park in Clarion County.

State police Tuesday charged McAvoy with felony counts of theft and receiving stolen property. That same day he was arraigned and promptly waived those charges to Butler County Court.

He remains free on $2,500 unsecured bail. His attorney, Gerald Cassady, declined to comment on the charges when contacted Thursday.

The Office of the State Inspector General last year began the investigation, police said, that was subsequently assigned Oct. 24 to Trooper Craig Spisak of the organized crime unit.

Investigators started looking into the case after accusations arose that McAvoy, then a ranger supervisor at Cook Forest, had taken department-owned property and was “making personal use of the items,” according to court documents.

The property was allegedly at the defendant's home, his auto repair shop in Brady Township and a storage unit in Liberty Township, Mercer County.

A key witness in the investigation, documents revealed, was a seasonal park ranger who worked with McAvoy for five years. That ranger, Brett Vescovi, also happened to be dating the defendant's daughter.

Vescovi claimed McAvoy would “show up at (the) maintenance gate in plain clothes in his own personal vehicle,” documents said, “and fill up a garage bag with light bulbs, paper towels, cleaner, batteries and anything on the shelf.”

The alleged thefts, Vescovi recounted, eventually became “more blatant and more expensive items were taken,” Spisak said in his affidavit.

Police on Nov. 1 executed search warrants at McAvoy's home, business and storage unit.

At the home, documents said, among the department-owned items found were archery targets, arrows, bows, a combination safe, saw blades, a dining canopy, pitch fork and kayak paddles.

The search of the business turned up a Trek mountain bike and a shovel that belonged to the DCNR.

Items in the storage unit, documents said, included a dry bag, magnet and antique cash register.

The total value of the suspected stolen property was $2,789.

A DCNR spokesman in Harrisburg was unaware of the charges. He said McAvoy is no longer a department employee but declined to elaborate.