Schuylkill County authorities have been asked to investigate whether or not one of the local state constables committed a crime.

Schuylkill County District Attorney Christine Holman and other county officials were made aware of the possibility last week when they received a packet of information from Pennsylvania State Constable John “Jack” Sarge alleging that Constable Richard Krebs committed perjury when he took the oath of office on Dec. 31, 2015.Kreb’s service became an issue, according to Sarge, in 2015 when he moved from Auburn to Wayne Township.According to state law, constables must reside in the area in which they are elected or appointed.Sarge has been the constable for West Penn Township for more than 22 years, while Krebs was appointed as Auburn’s constable in 2009 to fill an unexpired term. Krebs lived and voted in Auburn at that time.In 2015, Krebs sought to be elected to the Auburn constable’s position and won the May 19 primary race. Ten days later, he purchased a home in Wayne Township.Once he moved into that home, according to Sarge, Krebs was no longer eligible to become the Auburn constable but his name remained on the ballot for the Nov. 3 general election.He won that election, even though he was unable to vote for himself after changing his voter registration address on Oct. 7, 2015.Sarge claims Krebs knew, or should have known, that he was unable to serve as Auburn’s constable because of the residency requirement.“When you’re running for an elected office, there are all types of requirements that must be met, including the residency one,” says Sarge.“As an officer of the court, it was Kreb’s duty to decline the Auburn constable position. Instead, he took the oath of office. That’s perjury, and it’s a crime.”In addition to county authorities, Sarge also contacted numerous state and federal agencies as well as seeking protection from possible retaliation under the Pennsylvania Public Official and Employee Ethics Act.In his letter to the Pennsylvania Ethics Commission, he states, “In my 22-plus year career as a full-time Pennsylvania State Constable, I personally have experienced the devastating financial impact of retaliation from the actions of Schuylkill County Magisterial District Judges. Regardless of the potential threat of retaliation, I must report what I believe to be illegal misconduct and unlawful activities.”Holman will turn the matter over to the Schuylkill County Constable Review Board for an initial assessment of the charges.