Refinery owner accused of taking $300K worth of precious metals from Peters Township jeweler

Refinery owner accused of not paying Peters Township jewelry company for $300k worth of metals

PETERS TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) - A man is accused of not paying for more than $300,000 worth of precious metals from a local company.

Investigators said Samuel Gratt, who owned the metal refinery company S&W Metals Incorporate in New York, had an agreement with JAB Jewelry in Peters Township to buy their leftover metals.

But police said Gratt allegedly stopped paying for the metals and stopped returning the jewelry store owner's phone calls. According to the criminal complaint, he took nearly 167 ounces of gold, about 19 ounces of platinum and more than 106 ounces of silver valued at $302,000.

When the New York City Police Department went to look for Gratt at his business, employees told him they hadn't seen him since late December, according to the criminal complaint. Police were told there also appeared to be other victims involved with Gratt.

He's now in the Washington County Jail on $50,000 bond.