Richard George, 46, of Whitpain Township.
A Whitpain Township man is facing a pair of felony theft charges after he allegedly stole $3,000 worth of tools from Kleckner Concrete on West Blaine Street in Lansdale.
According to the criminal complaint, police were dispatched to the unit block of Blaine Street at 1 p.m. on Feb. 10 for a report of a theft. Police spoke with several employees who stated that they discovered several tools missing from the shop while they were cleaning, and they last remembered seeing them around Christmas 2019. The report states that there were no signs of forced entry, and the employees believed the tools were stolen by a fellow employee.
Investigators learned that one employee, identified as 46-year-old Richard George, was having financial issues and was often asking fellow employees for money, the report states. Police also learned that George would often be sent back to the shop to retrieve tools needed at different job sites, and he would be alone at those times, according to the complaint.
Items that were allegedly stolen from the shop included:
The total cost to replace the items was in excess of $3,000, police said.
On Feb. 17, investigators went to One Stop Pawn Shop in Norristown, where they received records indicating that George had recently pawned the concrete saw for $150, and the Dewalt impact drivers for $20 and $50 respectively, according to the complaint. Pawn shop employees provided police with documentation and images matching George, and stated that the items had since been sold on Ebay, the report states.
The following day, police met with George, at which point he admitted to stealing the items and later pawning them, the report states. George was then placed under arrest and charged with felony theft and receiving stolen property.
George was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Ed Levine, who set bail at $5,000 unsecured. George was then released from custody, and his next court appearance is a preliminary hearing in front of Judge Levine on March 11 at 10:30 a.m.
(Editor’s note: All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause, and reflects the point of view of the police. Should the defendant choose to issue a public statement, or is later found not guilty or has the charges dropped, we will update this article accordingly.)
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