JACKSON TWP — A pair of Butler County men face hearings Tuesday on charges they broke into a handyman company's work truck in the township and stole a book of business checks.

The suspects — David W. Eberhardt, 25, of Slippery Rock and Jason P. Shilling, 25, of Butler — later forged and cashed some of the checks authorities said.

But the alleged crime is just one of many tied to the defendants who are accused in more than a dozen vehicle ransackings that plagued several municipalities over the summer.

In all, both men are charged with breaking into at least 15 unlocked vehicles and stealing nearly $5,000 in property — including two handguns.

The pair's suspected getaway driver, Kelly Wolfarth, 21, of Cranberry Township, is also charged in all but one of the break-ins.

Eberhardt and Shilling are both being held in the Butler County Prison on $25,000 and $10,000 bail, respectively. It was not immediately known if Wolfarth is awaiting arraignment or free on her own recognizance.

Jackson Township police charged the men last week in connection with the theft of business checks from a truck on Gudekunst Road around July 5.

The victim, Michael Lisanti, owner of Lisanti Maintenance and Remodeling, discovered the theft after he discovered some of the checks had been cashed between July 5 and 12, police said.

Bank surveillance video helped investigators identify the suspect, according to court documents. By then, Eberhardt and Shilling, were already in the county prison in connection with a rash of other unrelated break-ins.

Both defendants admitted to the Jackson Township vehicle ransackings. Each is charged with theft from a vehicle, conspiracy, receiving stolen property access device fraud and forgery, all felonies.

Preliminary hearings for the men are set for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the office of District Judge Wayne Seibel in Evans City.

State police on Sept. 30 charged Eberhardt and Shilling along with Wolfarth in a rash of other vehicle break-ins between Aug. 12 and 15.

The trio is accused of stealing credit cards, guns and numerous other items from 14 unlocked vehicles.

They were identified, police said, through video surveillance at a Sheetz convenience store in Butler and the Walmart in Butler Township, where they allegedly used some of the stolen credit cards.

The suspects are accused of taking the following items from vehicles:

9 mm pistol from a pickup truck at a home on Green Manor Drive in Summit Township

.380-caliber pistol from a pickup truck at a home on Great Belt Road in Jefferson Township

Purse containing a wallet with several credit and debit cards in it from a car at an unspecified location.

Purse containing a wallet with a credit card and gift card in it and a large amount of coin change contained in a jar in a car at a home on Simon Drive in Summit Township

Purse containing a wallet with credit cards, two pairs of women's shoes and jewelry in a sport utility vehicle at a home on Dodds Road in Penn Township

Purse, digital camera and laptop computer from a car.

Camera, camping equipment and Boy Scout shirt from a pickup at a home on Moorehead Road in Winfield Township

Two pocket knives from a pickup at a home on Cornplanter Road in Winfield Township

Stereo headphones from an SUV at a home on Moorehead Road in Winfield Township

Gift card and change from two vehicles at a home on Great Belt Road in Jefferson Township

Change, a portable phone charger, flashlight and pack of cigarettes from a car at a home on Rennick Road in Jefferson Township

Small amount of change from a pickup at a home on Bear Creek Road in Winfield Township

Wallet containing credit cards and currency from a pick up at a home on Cornplanter Road in Winfield Township

Preliminary hearings for all three defendants are set for Nov. 2 at the office of District Judge Sue Haggerty in Saxonburg.

Butler Township police, meanwhile, in still another case, charged Eberhardt in connection with the Sept. 30 break-in of a woman's car at a home in the 700 block of Bullcreek Road and stealing a wallet.

The wallet, police said, contained two credit cards and a book of checks, and was taken July 13.

Investigators allege Eberhardt a short time after used at least one of the cards at two stores and two fast food restaurants in the Butler area.

He is charged in that case with forgery, identity theft, access device fraud and receiving stolen property. His hearing is Thursday before District Judge Kevin O'Donnell.