Phony Armed Robbery Story Results In Arrest

Phony Armed Robbery Story Results In Arrest
Social Issues Government33

OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania man was arrested for making a false report to police last week after cooking up a phony robbery story when discovered walking down the street in only his boxer shorts.

Around 3:43 a.m. on May 12, Ocean City Police observed an intoxicated man, later identified as Alexander Kerr, 22, of Downingtown, Pa., walking in the area of 10th Street and Wilmington Lane wearing only boxer shorts. Kerr told police he had just been robbed at gunpoint by a white male wearing a hooded sweatshirt during which all of his possessions including his clothes had been stolen. OCPD officers, including uniformed and plain clothes officers along with a K-9 unit, searched in vain for an armed suspect, a search made more difficult because the victim could not articulate the exact location of the incident because of his intoxicated state.

During the subsequent investigation, OCPD detectives met with Kerr at his hotel room. During the interview, police officers observed several of the items Kerr reported stolen in the hotel room. Kerr later admitted he had gotten intoxicated and fell in the bay. Kerr said he removed his wet clothes, which he later recovered, and admitted making up the armed robbery story because he thought he would get in trouble for just wearing boxer shorts in public.

After a total of eight hours of investigative time was spend on the phony armed robbery story, Kerr was charged with making a false report to police officers.

Three Arrested For Burglary

SNOW HILL — Three men were arrested on burglary and other charges last week after county law enforcement officials were able to connect them to a spree of burglaries in the south end of Worcester.

Last Friday, a Worcester County Sheriff’s deputy responded to a residence on Brantley Rd. in Pocomoke for a reported burglary in progress. The victim was able to provide a description of a “beat up” gold Honda four-door with a huge scratch across the back bumper occupied by two African-American males. The deputy observed a vehicle matching the description heading north on Route 113.

When the deputy made a U-turn to pursue, the vehicle sped up in an attempt to elude the officer before making a quick turn into a residential driveway. The suspects attempted to exit the vehicle and flee, but were ordered to get back in and wait for additional units to arrive to assist.

The victim was brought to the scene and positively identified the vehicle and the two African-American males, Brian Waters, 30, of Bivalve and Marco Lee, 32, of Quantico. Also in the vehicle was a third suspect identified as Zachary Manley, 24, of Saylorsburg, Pa. The victim also identified personal property recovered from one of the suspects. The three suspects were taken in for interrogation.

A search warrant was obtained for the vehicle and the subsequent search turned up property belonging to the initial victim. Also discovered during the search was a large amount of jewelry, electronics, baseball cards, coins and other valuables. In the trunk of the vehicle, officers discovered three pairs of gloves and burglary tools.

A check with area pawn shops revealed Manley had pawned a large amount of jewelry on the day before, May 17. Detailed descriptions and photographs of the pawned jewelry resulted in the positive identification of items stolen from a separate burglary on Brantley Rd. from the night before. On Saturday, May 19, a sheriff’s deputy was dispatched to another reported burglary on Brantley Rd. and was able to determine the incident was similar to the other reported burglaries. Detectives were able to determine the property reported stolen had been recovered during the search of the Honda a day earlier. Each of the three suspects was charged with burglary, theft and malicious destruction of property.

OC Burglary Conviction

OCEAN CITY — A Middletown, Md. man, one of four arrested in connection to a residential burglary in Ocean City dating back to June 2010, pleaded guilty this week in District Court to fourth-degree burglary and theft and was sentenced to three months in jail, fined and ordered to pay restitution.

On June 30, 2010, OCPD officers responded to a reported burglary at a residence on Island Edge Drive. The investigation revealed the suspects had gained entry to the residence through the garage and had stolen a 42-inch flat screen television, a DVD player and various pieces of jewelry totaling over $1,000. The estimated total value of the items stolen, including the television and the jewelry came to over $2,000. The scene was processed for evidence and no suspects were immediately identified.

In November 2011, an OCPD detective received a tip from an anonymous source that as many as five people were involved in the break-in including Wesley Francis, 21, of Thurmont, Md., Nicholas McClain, 19, of Middletown, Md., Todd Rewolinski, 19, of Frederick, Md. and Kyle Tharpe, 19, of Middle River, along with a female suspect.

Because the suspects didn’t have any money, they came up with the idea to break into an unoccupied neighboring residence, according to police reports. The investigation revealed the suspects broke into the residence and took the television and other goods and loaded the stolen property into a pick-up truck owned by Francis. In December 2011, OCPD detectives traveled to Thurmont to interview Francis and observed a white pick-up matching the description parked in the driveway.

Francis, who is deaf, told OCPD officers through an interpreter he was had been involved in the June 2010 burglary in Ocean City. Francis told police he entered the residence with Rewolinski, Tharpe and McClain and that he backed his truck up to the garage before entering the house. Francis told police the four men then loaded the television into his truck and that he later dropped Rewolinski off at another residence with the television. Francis was formally charged with first-degree burglary, theft and malicious destruction of property in January and now awaits a May trial date.

Also in December 2011, OCPD detectives interviewed McClain, also deaf, who admitted his part in the burglary. McClain said he and the other suspects got into the house through the garage and stole the television and other goods. McClain was also charged in January with first-degree burglary and other charges for his role in the break-in.

This week in District Court, McClain pleaded guilty to fourth-degree burglary and theft over $1,000 but under $10,000. He was sentenced to 18 months in jail with all but three months suspended. He was also placed on probation for three years, fined $1,000 and ordered to pay $2,575 in restitution to the victim. The other suspects await trials in June and July.