LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 43-year-old man has been accused of stealing more than $120,000 in scrap metal when he worked for a Lincoln-based construction company.

Jason Muhle has been charged with felony theft. His attorney didn’t immediately return a call Thursday from The Associated Press, seeking comments about the allegation.

A court affidavit from a Nebraska state trooper says Muhle had headed the bridge division of Commercial Construction Inc. from 2009 until January 2013 and sold more than $120,000 in scrap metal.

Muhle said in a lawsuit deposition that Commercial Construction’s owner, Gregory “Joe” Engler, gave him permission to sell scrap metal and share the money with his underlings because the company had cut vacation and insurance benefits. Engler told the state trooper that he never told Muhle he could do that