OC Burglar's Old Tricks Worth Six Years

SNOW HILL - An Ocean City man with a penchant for breaking and entering in the resort pleaded guilty again to second-degree burglary stemming from an incident last December and was sentenced this time to 12 year in jail, half of which was suspended putting him behind bars for six years.

Stanley Charles Celmer III, 28, of Ocean City, pleaded guilty last week to second-degree burglary after breaking in to a Boardwalk business last December, not long after he completed an eight-month stretch for a string of similar burglaries in Ocean City dating back to the winter of 2005 and 2006. During that span, resort police handled as many as 60 cases of breaking and entering and theft at vacant stores along the Boardwalk and throughout Ocean City.

Resort detectives were able to connect Celmer to about 20 of the cases and warrants were sworn out for his arrest. Celmer's whereabouts were unknown in the winter of 2006 until OCPD investigators got a tip from the public the suspect had fled the resort and was in Florida. Two Ocean City detectives traveled to Florida and arrested Celmer on Feb. 17, 2006 and he was extradited to Worcester County to face burglary and theft charges for as many as 21 of the unsolved cases in Ocean City.

Last summer, Celmer pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary, fourth-degree burglary and attempted second-degree burglary and was sentenced to a total of 23 years for the three convictions combined, all of which was suspended but eight months.

In December 2006, not long after he completed his sentence, Celmer was up to his old tricks again and this time he was sentenced to a long stretch in jail. On Dec. 19, the OCPD responded to the Dippin' Dots on the Boardwalk near 2^nd Street for a reported break-in. The officers met with the storeowner, who told them surveillance video revealed someone had broken into the store and stolen $200 from the cash register.

The officers inspected the back door and found it had been pried open at the dead bolt to gain entry. Celmer had been seen in the area of the burglary and was known to be living on 2^nd Street. Detective Vickie Martin, who was investigating the case, had arrested Celmer in the past on burglary charges and tried to connect him to the Dippin' Dots case.

Martin later interviewed Celmer admitted to the crime. Celmer told Martin he used the money to buy crack cocaine and beer, according to the police report.