CLINTON TWP — A former employee is accused of stealing more than a ton of metal materials — a little at a time — from the Cygnus Manufacturing Co. that he sold to a scrap yard for thousands of dollars.

Albert J. Lloyd, 44, of Kittanning faces a hearing next month on a felony theft charge at the office of District Judge Sue Haggerty in Saxonburg.

Cygnus is a precision manufacturer of products and components for medical devices, transportation, scientific instrumentation, energy, aerospace and defense applications.

Lloyd worked at the firm as a machinist before he was fired when the suspected theft came to light.

The probe, police said, found that Lloyd had taken brass blanks belonging to the business, and sold the property at P.J. Greco Sons salvage yard in Kittanning.

Walker reportedly admitted the theft.

Police suspect in all, Lloyd stole 2,739 pounds of brass that he exchanged at Greco's for $3,540. He allegedly made 40 separate transactions at the scrap business.

Haggerty on Monday arraigned Lloyd on a second-degree felony count of theft. He remains free on $5,000 unsecured bail.