Oct 9, 2005 By Jennifer Harr 2 min read

After he failed to appear for a hearing, Fayette County’s former fiscal analyst, Bruce Beard, had his participation in a pretrial diversionary program revoked. Beard, 43, of 58 E. Fayette St., Uniontown, was admitted to Fayette County’s Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program in October 2003 for four years. He allegedly forged nearly $9,000 in checks from New York Pizza and Pasta in South Union Township and the North Union Township Volunteer Fire Department.

Between June 21 and Aug. 2, 2002, Beard allegedly forged the signature of restaurant owner John Schiano on 14 checks totaling $6,400. He also was charged with forging the signatures of two volunteer fire department officials on a $2,500 check cashed on Aug. 6, 2002.

He was balancing the books for both the restaurant and the fire department at the time the alleged thefts occurred.

A revocation petition from the Adult Probation Office, which supervises people on ARD, indicated that Beard had not reported to the office since June 13, 2005. He also failed to make court-ordered payments in one of the cases since Sept. 10, 2004.

It was immediately unclear how much money Beard still owes in restitution and court costs on the cases.

Judge John F. Wagner Jr. scheduled a revocation hearing for Beard, but when Beard failed to show up for the Oct. 3 hearing, the judge rescinded his participation in the ARD program. Had Beard completed the program, he could have requested that his criminal record be expunged.

This was the second time the probation office requested a judge boot Beard from the ARD program. In September 2004, Wagner gave him a second chance despite a report that he missed appointments with his probation officer and tested positive for alcohol, a no-no under the terms of his ARD.

Now, the two cases will be listed for trial.

Beard is charged with two counts each of forgery and theft by deception and one count of theft by unlawful taking.