SHAMOKIN, Penn. —  The mayor of a small coal town in central Pennsylvania, was arrested on allegations that 14 graves at the Shamokin Cemetery were disturbed or buried during the construction of a cell phone tower on private cemetery grounds — including the grave of a World War II veteran killed in combat.

Mayor William Milbrand’s arrest is in his capacity as president of the private cemetery’s operating board, not in his capacity as mayor. He said the city council on which he serves was not involved in the project.

“If there were graves disturbed, it was unknown to me,” Milbrand said.

He was arraigned on 42 counts, including 14 felonies of institutional vandalism of a cemetery. The other counts are misdemeanors of desecration of a grave and destruction of historic burial lots.

The impacted graves date from 1917 – 1976, and involve many burials from the same four families.

Milbrand denied the charges and said he would seek an attorney to dispute the case and has been released on bail.

William Miner, the arresting officer, said photographic evidence backs the allegations, adding that a site contractor, Tim McAndrew of TM Services, claimed he graded and prepared the area under Milbrand’s direction last summer, who told him the area was clear of any graves.

However, Milbrand said he had little involvement in the direction of site preparation or construction of an access road. Concerns were raised in the fall about the potential disturbance of graves and work halted, Milbrand said after the arraignment.

The mayor said a surveyor visited the graveyard, inspected the site and determined no graves were disturbed. Work on the project didn’t resume and the tower was not built, he said.

“If it is proven that graves were disturbed, with my own money I will see that it gets righted,” Milbrand said.

Thomas S. Ward Jr. filed a complaint about disturbed graves in the area of the tower’s construction, which included photographs of removed headstones and buried graves, and one photo that showed a gravestone tossed near a pile of freshly cut trees.

Miner, whose retirement is effective Friday, said in court documents that a personal inspection of the graveyard backed Ward’s allegations. 

There are an estimated 16,000 graves in the Shamokin Cemetery dating to the mid-19th century spread across 20 acres, according to their website.

Andrew Garancoski, a former cemetery caretaker and ex-president of the board said he also had concerns that grave sites were being disturbed to make room for the cell tower, police said.

He told police that he had previously asked for the cemetery’s financial records, but never received them. He believes this inquiry led to his removal as president in 2013 after serving for five years.

City officials reached late Tuesday were shocked by Milbrand’s arrest.

“I don’t even know what’s going on,” said Councilman Charles Verano. “I just got home and everybody is calling the house. I’m shocked.”

City Administrator Robert Slaby said he hadn’t heard Milbrand reference the project in weeks and thought concerns with the project at the graveyard were addressed.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Slaby said.

Milbrand’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 7.

Scicchitano and Scarcella write for the Sanbury, Pennsylvania Daily Item.