The second of two alleged members of a statewide series of burglaries is in custody.

Steven Nichols, 53, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was arraigned virtually by District Judge William O'Donnell on Wednesday. Nichols was placed in Butler County Prison on $100,000 bond. He has since posted bond.

According to charging documents, Nichols is one of two men accused of burglaries across the state with at least two of the alleged crimes occurring in Butler County, stemming from an investigation by the state Attorney General's Office.

Nichols is charged with six felony counts of burglary, three felony counts of conspiracy, two felony counts of theft, one felony count of employee of a corrupt organization, four misdemeanor counts of theft and one misdemeanor count of attempted theft.

Nichols' alleged partner, Archie Marino, 35, of Boca Raton, Fla., was arraigned by O'Donnell Oct. 7 and placed in Butler County Prison on $50,000 bond. He has since posted bond.

Marino is facing fewer charges, including three felony counts of burglary, two felony counts of conspiracy, one felony count of employee of a corrupt organization and three misdemeanor counts of theft.

According to the documents, an investigation in September 2018 led officials to the two men.

“The investigation uncovered that Steven Nichols and Archie Marino were members of a sophisticated and organized group of individuals who traveled across the country committing distraction-style residential burglaries targeting the vulnerable elderly population,” investigators said.

According to charging documents filed for Nichols, the two are accused of breaking into the homes of elderly people, even while they were at home, and stealing jewelry, cash and other valuable items.

Two of the alleged break-ins occurred at two different homes in Prospect, while other charges relate to alleged burglaries in Scranton, Mt. Pleasant, Blairsville and Latrobe. Five of the alleged seven victims were women.

Both of the alleged local burglaries occurred during the late morning of Aug. 27, 2018, and involved a total loss of more than $1,000 worth of items between the two.

A preliminary hearing for Nichols is scheduled for Oct. 27 and Marino's is scheduled for Nov. 24, both before O'Donnell.