We Take Our Beef Sticks Seriously!

SOMERSET, Pa. — Two West Virginia cousins are in the Somerset County Prison awaiting a hearing on charges they were caught with a car full of stolen beef jerky Wednesday evening.

Channel 4 Action News' Jennifer Miele reported Chief Randy Cox said the men were pulled over in the 100 block of Plank Road in Somerset because their license plate appeared to be falling off. That is when an officer noticed the jerky.

Police say in an affidavit they saw "a large amount of boxed and packaged beef jerky" and socket sets on the car's rear seat.

Police told Miele the men planned to sell the stolen jerky to finance a trip from West Virginia through Somerset to New Stanton, where one of the suspect’s relatives was having car trouble.

Police said the men acknowledged stealing the items from auto parts stores and gas stations. Detectives are now trying to track down gas stations missing hundreds of dollars worth of jerky and even the display accessories, including giant mugs filled with packaged jerky and Slim Jims.

Michael Allen Graham, 37, and John Edward Barry, 35, both of Milton, W.Va., are charged with receiving stolen property. Their bond is set at $20,000.

Graham and Barry face a preliminary hearing Feb. 22.