A Lansdale man is facing a pair of felony charges after he was allegedly observed riding a $2,500 e-bike that had been reported stolen from a borough home in April.
David Moyer, 45, has been charged with theft of property – lost, mislaid, or delivered by mistake, along with receiving stolen property, in connection with the investigation. Moyer is currently free on $500 unsecured bail.
According to police, the e-bike was stolen from a home along the 500 block of Walnut Street on April 14. The owner reported the e-bike — which had a value of $2,497.36 — had been secured with a bike lock that was also missing, and police entered the serial number into a law enforcement database for stolen items.
On Saturday, police were on a routine patrol along the 600 block of Walnut Street at 9:13 p.m. when they saw Moyer riding an e-bike that matched the description of the stolen bike, according to charging documents. Police said they recognized Moyer from prior contacts and knew he was homeless and unemployed, and due to the proximity to where the e-bike was stolen, they verbally engaged him about the e-bike.
Moyer initially told police the bike had been given to him by a friend, and he was on his way to a friends’ house, police said. When told a similar bike had been stolen in the area, Moyer allegedly said that he didn’t know if it was stolen, but if it was, police could take it. Moyer then allowed police to check the serial number, which matched the number of the stolen e-bike, according to charging documents.
When told the bike was stolen, Moyer allegedly changed his story and said he found the bike in a ditch near the parking garage around 8 a.m., rode the bike all day, and was on his way to the 7-Eleven on North Broad Street when police stopped him. He was subsequently taken into custody, arraigned on the charges, then released.
His next court appearance is a preliminary hearing on June 7 at 11:30 a.m. in front of Magisterial District Judge Ed Levine.
According to the legal statute, the theft of property – lost, mislaid, or delivered by mistake does not indicate that the accused directly stole the item. The statute reads:
A person who comes into control of property of another that he knows to have been lost, mislaid, or delivered under a mistake as to the nature or amount of the property or the identity of the recipient is guilty of theft if, with intent to deprive the owner thereof, he fails to take reasonable measures to restore the property to a person entitled to have it.
If convicted, Moyer would face a maximum sentence of up to seven years in state prison.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause.
See also:
Sellersville Man with History of Sex Crime Convictions Accused of Molesting 9-Year-Old Neighbor
Man Charged After Pointing Handgun at Driver During Road Rage Incident in Hilltown, Police Say
Philadelphia Man Accused of Stealing Catalytic Converters from Vehicles in Upper Gwynedd
Local Men Arrested After Attempting to Deliver $200,000 Worth of Cocaine in Hatfield, Police Say
