An Upper Gwynedd Township man is accused of stealing more than $1,900 in groceries from Weis Markets across 48 occasions in a four-month period.
Daryn Wesley Fredericks, 55, of the 900 block of Jacks Lane, was charged this month by Upper Gwynedd Police with third-degree felony retail theft, according to a criminal complaint.
On May 27, police responded to the market at 1551 Valley Forge Road for a report of retail theft. A loss prevention investigator told police Fredericks allegedly began concealing items and failing to scan them at the self-checkout on Feb. 15 and continued until May 25.
On 48 occasions, police said, Fredericks is seen on surveillance footage concealing items as a consistent course of conduct spanning four months, totaling $1,946.26. Police said Fredericks visited the store eight times between Feb. 15 and Feb. 29, 12 times between March 3 and March 31, 17 times between April 1 and April 29. and 11 times between May 2 and May 25. There were days where Fredericks visited the store two to three times the same day, police said.
According to the complaint, Fredericks was identified by a restoration company shirt he was wearing in a series of the thefts that occurred. Police used an image taken from the surveillance video, a search of the company name on the shirt, and a registration search of his white Nissan SUV to find Fredericks, who matched the description in the video, police allege.
When police called Fredericks to inform him of the charges, he partially admitted to possibly forgetting to scan some items while shopping at Weis, police said.
Police said Fredericks was cooperative.
Fredericks is free on $5,000 unsecured bail following a June 10 arraignment before Magisterial District Judge Henry J. Schireson, according to court records. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 1 at 9 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Suzan Leonard.
He is retained Norristown attorney Brendan Campbell.
Fredericks had no prior retail theft convictions, but the crime is a third-degree felony due to the value of theft, police said.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
