Upper Gwynedd Police Photo by James Short.
Thomas Edward Fuller III, of the 2000 block of Kriebel Road in Towamencin and also of Dana Avenue in Bensalem, was charged July 16 following a months-long investigation into the April 2024 theft
A Towamencin Township man is facing felony charges after DNA evidence allegedly connected him to the theft of a company vehicle from a Merck property in Upper Gwynedd Township last year.
Thomas Edward Fuller III, 20, was charged July 16 following a months-long investigation into the April 2024 theft of a 2020 Nissan Frontier pickup truck, which had been parked outside Merck’s NW-2 facility.
The vehicle, owned by U.S. Facilities—a company contracted by Merck—was last seen on April 18, and security footage later captured an unidentified person driving it away around 1:40 a.m. on April 29, police said.
The truck was located by Philadelphia Police on May 4, 2024, abandoned in a city intersection. According to the criminal complaint, the vehicle was preserved for forensic testing, and Upper Gwynedd police recovered DNA from the steering wheel, gear shifter, start button, and key fob.
A partially smoked marijuana blunt found in the cupholder was also submitted for DNA analysis, police said.
Investigators said a Pennsylvania State Police DNA report confirmed with a “high degree of certainty” that Fuller’s DNA matched the recovered samples.
He had previously worked for Securitas and was assigned to Merck’s security detail at the time of the theft, police said. Fuller allegedly had access to the area where the truck’s key fob was stored but was not authorized to use the vehicle.
Detectives said the truck was briefly spotted on May 2, 2024, improperly parked on Parkview Drive in Towamencin Township, about two-tenths of a mile from Fuller’s then-residence on Kriebel Road.
His grandfather reportedly drove him to and from work during that time, as he did not have his own vehicle, police said.
Authorities allege Fuller drove the truck for several days before abandoning it in Philadelphia due to running out of gas. DNA swabs collected from the vehicle and the marijuana cigar ultimately led to his identification, police said.
Fuller, of the 2000 block of Kriebel Road in Towamencin and also of Dana Avenue in Bensalem, has been charged with felony theft by unlawful taking, felony receiving stolen property, and misdemeanor unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
He was released on $25,000 unsecured bail and is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 19 before Magisterial District Judge Suzan Leonard. The hearing had originally been scheduled for July 31. He is represented by Philadelphia attorney Eugene Tinari.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This report was compiled using public court records.
