Jackson Brian Serafin, 20, of Chalfont, New Britain Township. (Credit: Bucks County District Attorney's Office).
A New Britain Township man, who is headed to trial this month in Bucks County Court of Common Pleas on charges of running a cocaine and methamphetamine distribution ring with his father, has been arrested and charged as a co-defendant in case involving a stolen car and stolen credit cards.
Jackson Brian Serafin, 20, of the unit block of Patriot Drive, Chalfont, has been charged by New Britain Township Police alongside Christopher James Mook, 21, of the unit block of Sunnybrook Drive, Doylestown, for theft incidents involving three homeowners on the unit block of Edinboro Circle one evening last September.
Serafin is charged with one felony count each of theft of movable property and receiving stolen property, plus respective felony conspiracy charges, and two misdemeanor counts of theft from a motor vehicle and conspiracy to commit theft from a motor vehicle, according to court documents.
Mook faces no conspiracy offenses but is charged with felony counts of theft by unlawful taking and theft of movable property, and two felony counts of receiving stolen property, according to court documents. Mook also faces two misdemeanor charges of theft from a motor vehicle and misdemeanor access device fraud.
Both are free on $150,000 unsecured bail each, state court records.
All in all, there were three victims. The first victim reported to police at 4:22 a.m. Sept. 22, 2023 that their 2017 silver Nissan Altima SV was stolen from the driveway, police said.
The victim told police the car was last seen the night before with the doors unlocked and the keys inside the car, along with black Beats earbuds, according to the criminal complaint.
Using law enforcement resources, police said the stolen Altima was seen on southbound Route 309 at Hartman Road at 3:36 a.m. The Beats earbuds case was found on the lawn between the two other victims’ homes, police said.
Later in the morning, at 8:10 a.m., a second victim reported that someone went through their vehicle overnight and stole a brown Louis Vuitton clutch containing a driver’s license, Social Security card, and credit/debit cards, per the affidavit.
Almost a month later, on Oct. 17, 2023, the second victim reported someone fraudulently used their card for an Amazon purchase and to by food at Warrington’s Buffalo Wild Wings, police said. Video surveillance from Buffalo Wild Wings showed two white males enter the restaurant, with hoodies up, and pick up two separate orders, per the complaint.
One man was wearing an orange Nike hoodie, gray shorts, and flip-flops, police said, and the second individual was wearing a green Polo hoodie, white, gray and black plaid pants, white socks, and flip-flops.
Police said they saw two mobile order printouts in the video, with one of the pickup names being Mook.
Then, on Oct. 20, 2023, a third victim from Edinboro Circle reported to police that someone went through their vehicle and stole a purse containing a driver’s license, several credit cards and an Apple Watch, police said.
The third victim was aware of the two prior theft incidents on the block and believed the items were taken on the same day, according to the complaint.
Five days after, on Oct. 25, Philadelphia Police found the stolen Altima in a corner parking lot at Fontain and N. 20th streets, near Temple University, police said. Then, on Oct. 26, 2023, police were contacted by the third victim, who reported credit cards were used at several locations in Bucks and Montgomery counties illegally, per the affidavit.
Detectives processed the stolen car for DNA samples and fingerprints on Nov. 3, 2023, according to the complaint. While no prints were found, the DNA swabs of the interior door handle, the gear shift, and driver’s seat headrest resulted in mixed specimens, per the complaint.
It would be two months until Warrington Township Police reported to New Britain Township Police on Jan. 9 that Serafin and Mook were involved in the theft of a car, police alleged.
A search warrant on Serafin’s Apple iPhone 14, police said, uncovered text messages between Mook and Serafin, that included pictures of Serafin next to a silver sedan and pictures of the victims’ driver’s licenses and credit cards.
Police said cellular text messages showed the two discussed plotting the theft of the car and taking it to a chop shop for money, between midnight and 1:33 a.m. Sept. 22, 2023. In the messages, per the affidavit, Mook suggested they “hit those Doylestown apartment” and Serafin suggested bringing a knife to defend themselves in case someone “come out a crib.”
Per the affidavit, at 3:06 a.m. more text messages between the two suggested “unloading at the Montgomery Mall” and to keep hands down “so nobody see the gloves.” Further messaging at 10 a.m. Sept. 22, 2023 showed the two discussed stealing more cars, hitting a pawn shop, and getting new plates for the stolen car, police said.
According to the criminal complaint, police located Serafin’s phone in the area of Highand Drive in Chalfont, about 425 feet away from where the stolen car was parked, at 1:54 a.m. on the night of the theft. Then, his phone was pinged again in Philadelphia at 4:47 a.m. in the Philadelphia parking lot, per the complaint.
Serafin was arraigned April 17 before Magisterial District Judge Regina Armitage, and Mook was arraigned the next day before Magisterial District Judge Jean Seaman, per court records. Both have preliminary hearings scheduled for June 4 before Armitage.
Serafin is represented by attorney Robert Amadeo Mancini, of Doylestown. No attorney information has been listed for Mook as of Monday.
His preliminary hearing on the separate narcotics trafficking offenses is scheduled for May 20 at 10 a.m. before Bucks County Court of Common Pleas Judge Stacy Wertman.
