Ex-official at EPA charged with theft

WASHINGTON — A former high-ranking official with the Environmental Protection Agency has been charged with stealing nearly $900,000 from the agency over more than a dozen years.

John C. Beale, a former deputy assistant administrator in the Office of Air and Radiation, was charged Friday with stealing a total of $886,186 between 2000 and last April.

A document filed by the Justice Department says Beale stole the money by collecting bonuses and extra salary.