Man Pawned Neighbors' Jewelry and Weapons, Police Say

A Bushkill Township man is accused of stealing weapons and jewelry from neighbors who had allowed him to sleep in their home overnight and had inadvertently given him a ride to pawn off the stolen items, according to court records. 

Matthew Bernard Yinger, 37, of 638 Gladys Drive, is charged by Bushkill Township police with six counts each of theft and receiving stolen property for the alleged theft from the home of James and Jameison Breiner at 680 Hope Drive.

In January, for work he did as an employee at a Plainfield Township auto garage—but allegedly kept the money for himself.

According to court papers:

• Yinger walked into the Breiners’ home at about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday without knocking. Yinger told Jameison Breiner that he had a fight with his father and needed a place to stay for the night. Yinger was allowed to sleep on the couch.

• The following morning—at a little after 6 a.m.—Breiner saw Yinger in his bedroom after he took a shower, but did not understand why he was there. Breiner and Yinger left the house at a little after 6:30 a.m. so that Breiner could go to work. Breiner saw Yinger walk toward his own house. 

• James Breiner, Jameison’s father, returned home from work at about 10 a.m. Yinger returned to the Breiner home and asked James for a ride to Wind Gap, where he needed to take a urine test at Borough Hall. Breiner drove Yinger there, waited outside the building for 15 to 20 minutes until Yinger returned.

• Yinger then asked to be driven to Tattletale’s in Bath. Breiner dropped him off there and left.

• On Friday morning, James Breiner noticed that his gun cabinet was opened and that an antique firearm and two antique Davy Crockett pocket knives were missing. He also noticed that a 14-karat diamond ring and a 32nd degree Mason ring were also taken from his bedroom.

• Jameison Breiner told police that he noticed that his jewelry box had been gone through and that his 1995 Nazareth Area High School class ring was missing. 

• Bushkill Township police checked with Gold Silver Trading Post, 102 S. Broadway in Wind Gap, which is near Borough Hall, to determine if the missing items were brought there.

• The antique firearm and James Breiner’s two rings were at the trading post. Video surveillance inside the store showed that Yinger was inside the store at the time the items were brought in.

Yinger was arraigned before on-duty District Judge David Tidd of Lower Saucon Township and committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail.