A Telford home services business owner has been accused of three charges of felony retail theft for allegedly concealing and stealing a $2,395 Milwaukee plumbing press tool kit from a Lansdale business in January, according to Lansdale Borough Police.
In a twist of favorable coincidence for police, the branch manager of Ferguson Enterprises, the 200 S. Chestnut St. business where the alleged theft occurred, spotted the alleged thief – identified as Luke A. Williams, 36, of the 200 block of S Allentown Road – the very next day at Lowe’s, police said.
The branch manager took a picture of Williams’ dark-colored Subaru Forester in the Lowe’s parking lot, sent it to Lansdale Borough detectives, and they later confirmed it was the same vehicle used in the theft, police said.
Williams waived his Feb. 28 preliminary hearing before District Judge Ed Levine, who held all charges and set bail at $10,000, according to the criminal complaint. Willaims spent four days in jail before posting bail, per court records. A formal arraignment in Montgomery Court of Common Pleas is set for April 10 at 9:30 a.m., per court records.
Lansdale Police responded to a theft report at 12:41 p.m. Jan. 4 at Ferguson Enterprises, where the branch manager told police Williams’ alleged theft was caught on surveillance footage, police said.
Surveillance footage, police said, shows Williams – a white male with log brown hair and a beard – arriving at 11:43 a.m. Jan. 3 to the business, police said. Footage shows Williams entered the store, walked directly to the Milwaukee took aisle, and allegedly took a Milwaukee Force Logic Press TL kit from the bottom shelf, police said.
Williams then allegedly walked a couple aisles over near an entry/exit door, placed the tool on the ground, and takes off his outer coat, police said. Then, Williams allegedly left the tool on the floor and began walking around the store with his coat off, police said.
Surveillance allegedly shows Williams re-enter the aisle by the exit door, conceal himself behind boxes of toilets, bend over and then reappear without his coat, police said.
Williams then allegedly leaves the aisle and begins walking around the store again, police said, stopping in a line for checkout.
As one employee helped one customer and walked away from behind a counter, Williams allegedly took the opportunity to re-enter the aisle by the exit door, lean down behind the boxes, conceal the tool in his coat, and leave the store, police said.
Then, the next day, the same branch manager is at Lowes in Hatfield Township, and spots Williams allegedly in the store, wearing the same jacket and driving the same Subaru, police said. The manger sent photos to police, who verified it was the same vehicle used in the theft the day prior, police said.
Police found the Subaru registered to Williams, police said.
A voicemail recording by Williams stated the business as "Luke Williams Home Services,” police said.
A case search of Williams in the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania database revealed four prior criminal cases since 2021.
On March 12, the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County transferred an active Bucks County case to the District Attorney’s Criminal Division, per court records. In this case, Williams was charged April 26, 2022 in Hilltown Township, with misdemeanor counts of drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, per court records.
According to court records, Williams is awaiting a pre-trial conference on April 18, 2024, stemming from a November 2020 arrest in Lower Moreland Township on felony deceptive business practices. He was charged with five felony counts, including deceptive business practices, taking advanced payment for services that he failed to perform, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, and theft by deception, according to court records.
However, Williams’ charges were moved to ARD court in February 2022, according to court records, where he was given two years’ probation, plus 24 hours of community service and repayment of $2,400 to his mark, a Huntingdon Valley man.
Then, the ARD court deal was revoked in September 2022 and Williams has yet to head to trial on the Lower Moreland charges, per court records.
Williams is represented by attorney Jonathan D. Consadene.
See also:
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Man Arrested After Stealing from 7-Eleven on West Main Street in Lansdale, Police Say
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