An Albrightsville man is facing multiple felony charges after he allegedly stole multiple performance auto parts from a trailer in a self-storage unit, then posted images of the stolen parts to his Facebook profile.
Robert Callahan, 38, has been charged with felony counts of burglary, criminal trespassing, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property, as well as a misdemeanor count of possessing an instrument of crime and a summary charge of criminal mischief, in connection with the investigation by the Upper Gwynedd Police Department.
Police were dispatched to Metro Self Storage, along the 400 block of Sumneytown Pike, on April 1, 2020, for a reported theft that had just been discovered. The victim stated that he was checking on his 1979 El Camino for the first time in five months, when he saw that the padlocks on the side and rear of his trailer had been cut and removed.
According to the criminal complaint, the victim noticed that several items had been removed from his vehicle, including fuel pumps, valve covers, a nitrous system and numerous other components with a combined value of $20,256.94. The victim also stated that several tools that weren’t his had been left behind, which police then secured as evidence.
Investigators secured two DNA samples from the tools and a glove that were left behind, which later came back as matching a 34-year-old female — who had her own storage unit at the facility —and her 38-year-old boyfriend, identified as Callahan, according to the complaint.
The report states that investigators viewed Callahan’s public Facebook profile, which showed multiple images of performance vehicle parts. Police then forwarded some of the images to the victim, who positively identified some of the parts as being stolen from his vehicle, the report states.
On May 28, 2021, police served a search warrant to Facebook for records, messages, photos and more from Callahan’s account. The results allegedly showed multiple messages where Callahan was trying to solicit help to steal the trailer from the storage facility, as well as find a place to store the stolen parts.
In one message, Callahan mentions previously hijacking trailers, police said. As the investigation continued, police determined that Callahan had used his girlfriend’s keycode and login to gain access to the facility, according to the complaint.
On Sept. 13, charges were filed against Callahan, however he wasn’t taken into custody until Nov. 23. Callahan was arraigned by District Judge Suzan Leonard, who set bail at $10,000 cash. He was then taken to county jail after failing to post, and his next court appearance is a preliminary hearing on Dec. 2 at 10 a.m. in front of Judge Leonard.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause.
See also:
Woman Arrested After Stealing More Than $1,100 in Perfume from Macy’s in Montgomery Mall, Police Say
Man Arrested After Stealing Dirt Bike from Montgomeryville Cycle Center, Police Say
Upper Gwynedd Man Accused of Sexually Abusing 6-Year-old Girl While Babysitting
