A West Middlesex man has admitted stealing alcohol from a Hermitage distributor and selling it to two underage men.

Merlin S. Moss II, 23, pleaded guilty Wednesday to theft and furnishing alcohol to minors.

District Justice Henry J. Russo, Hermitage, fined Moss $1,000 plus costs and $375 restitution and placed him on a year of state probation.

Moss took $1,200 worth of cases of alcohol and kegs of beer from Erme's Distributing Co., 1362 N. Hermitage Road, in December 2002 and sold it Dec. 19 and March 7 to Douglas C. "Chad" Fette and Andrew Heasley, police said.

Fette, 19, of 37 Burrows Road, Shenango Township, was arrested Dec. 19 by Shenango Township police for having 31 cases of alcohol and four kegs of beer in his sport-utility vehicle, police said. He was charged with underage transportation and possession of alcohol and has pleaded not guilty. A hearing before Russo is set for 11 a.m. May 15.

Heasley has not been charged.

Eight days after Fette's arrest, Erme's reported to police that an employee was stealing alcohol, and police determined Moss was the employee.

Moss has already paid $400 restitution to Erme's, police said.