Man Pawned Neighbors' Jewelry and Weapons, Police Say

Matthew Yinger, 37, of Bushkill Township is charged with six counts each of theft and receiving stolen property for allegedly stealing weapons and jewelry from neighbors' home.

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, Yinger was charged with collecting more than $18,000 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 was arraigned before on-duty District Judge David Tidd of Lower Saucon …

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Plainfield Township Man Allegedly Sold Stolen Jewelry

Philip R. Achenbach, 25, of Plainfield Township is charged with selling jewelry that had allegedly been stolen in a New Jersey burglary on Oct. 18.

A Plainfield Township man has been charged with selling stolen jewelry to a coin and collectibles shop in Bangor, according to court papers. Philip R. Achenbach, 25, of the 500 block of Belfast Road, allegedly was in possession of jewelry that had been stolen in a New Jersey burglary on Oct. 18, according to an arrest warrant filed by Bangor borough police. New Jersey State Police had determined that the stolen jewelry had been sold to Bangor Coin & Collectibles and that Achenbach had been the person to make that sale, the affidavit of probable cause said. Achenbach was arrested and charged Saturday with receiving stolen property, a third-class felony. He was arraigned by on-duty District Judge Nancy Matos-Gonzalez of Bethlehem and …

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Nazareth Teacher Accused of Shoplifting, Leaving Daughter Behind

Stacee Banko, 32, a Nazareth Area Intermediate School teacher, is free on $10,000 unsecured bail after allegedly shoplifting from Kohl's in Lower Nazareth Township.

Alleged Drunken Thief Admits to Being Drunken Thief

With a .22 BAC, Steven M. Fehr, 43, not only admitted to stealing the car he had just wrecked in Plainfield Township, but also the Ruger .380 in his possession.

A rollover crash in a stolen vehicle. A breath test for alcohol measuring almost three times the legal limit. Possessing a stolen handgun and having a criminal record. Those allegations have resulted in a long list of charges against a Bethlehem man involved in a crash Wednesday night in the West Bangor section of Plainfield Township. But a criminal complaint against Steven M. Fehr, 43, shows one thing: He was honest with police. He admitted he had been drinking. He admitted he had a Ruger .380 with him and that it wasn’t his. He admitted he had a criminal record. And according to the arresting officer, “The male also at this time stated his friend was going to be pissed because he didn’t know he took the vehicle.” The complaint, filed by …

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Police: Palmer Township Man Stole $6,000 from Boss to Protect Family

Richard Lovell, of Palmer Township, is accused of stealing $6,000 from his boss' Tatamy home because he needed “to pay off some people that were going to hurt his family.”

Richard Lovell kept insisting to police he did not take the $6,000 stolen from his boss’ house in Tatamy. In fact, the man said, someone had stolen $700 from his wallet. Also, he wanted to get $3,000 and give it to his boss “because he felt bad.” But a Tatamy police officer had his suspicions. It seemed Lovell, who had recently moved into his boss’ home, “had more to tell but was holding something back,” Keith A. Snyder wrote in a criminal complaint. Snyder took Lovell, 23, to the borough police station. After prodding him with questions, Lovell later confessed to taking the money. The reason? “To pay off some people that were going to hurt his family,” the complaint says. Snyder’s role in the case began Friday afternoon, when he arrived …

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Nazareth Man Accused of Stealing Jeep Waives Hearing

Jared Martnick, 27, waived his right to a preliminary hearing Monday afternoon, sending three charges against him to Northampton County Court.

A Nazareth man who allegedly used crack cocaine and took cold medications, then stole a Jeep from a borough pizza shop, waived his right to preliminary hearing Monday afternoon in front of District Judge John Capobianco. Jared Martnick, 27, of the 300 block of S. Main Street, waived three charges to Northampton County Court -- theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and criminal mischief. He is expected to pay restitution, which includes a $125 towing fee and $300 for a rear-view mirror that was never recovered after the Feb. 13 series of incidents. In an unrelated domestic violence case, which was also handled Monday, Martnick waived two charges -- simple assault and harassment -- to county court. Martnick's bail for the …

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Woman Now Accused of Stealing Over $800,000 from Dealership

Anne Difrancesco of Bushkill Township was originally accused of taking $102,924.65 from Star Pontiac-Buick-GMC in Lower Nazareth Township; after an audit, that number has increased significantly.

Over a seven-year period, a Bushkill Township woman allegedly took $852,852 from Star Pontiac-Buick-GMC in Lower Nazareth Township, where she worked as a title clerk, according to a report in The Express-Times. Anne Difrancesco, 34, of the 200 block of Daniels Road, was charged in Februrary after allegedly using 20 company checks and taking $102,924.65 over the course of one year from the dealership, according to Colonial Regional Police. A more extensive audit by the dealership, the Express-Times reports adds, revealed she had been forging checks since 2005. Difrancesco is charged with forgery, theft by deception and receiving stolen property. She waived her right to a preliminary hearing Monday before District Judge Joseph Barner, …

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Nazareth Man Allegedly Steals Jeep, Hides Keys in Kohl's

Jared Martnick, 27, later taken to hospital after doing crack cocaine and ingesting numerous cold medications, causing his heart rate to rise.

In a whirlwind of activity Monday, a Nazareth man used crack cocaine and took cold medications, then stole a Jeep from a borough pizza shop, police said. He then hid the keys in a pair of jeans in the Kohl's Department Store in Lower Nazareth Township and while in police custody, had to be taken to a hospital for a drug reaction. Jared Martnick, 27, of the 300 block of S. Main Street, has yet to be arraigned on charges of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property -- both felonies -- and criminal mischief, as he remains in Lehigh Valley Hospital - Muhlenberg. According to the affidavit of probable cause: Before Martnick’s hospital stay, the day’s events started around 12:50 p.m. when Officer Alan Koch was approached by Donny …

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Local Woman Accused of Stealing Over $100,000 from Dealership

Anne Difrancesco, 33, of Bushkill Township, is accused of taking $102,924.65 from Star Pontiac-Buick-GMC in Lower Nazareth Township.

A Bushkill Township woman is in Northampton County Prison after she allegedly used 20 company checks to pay her personal bills, according to Colonial Regional Police. Anne Difrancesco, 33, of the 200 block of Daniels Road, is accused of taking $102,924.65 over the course of one year from Star Pontiac-Buick-GMC in Lower Nazareth Township. Difrancesco was charged with forgery, theft by deception and receiving stolen property. She was arraigned before District Judge David Tidd and sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $15,000 cash bail.

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Police: Man Stole Sneakers, Hit Kohl's Employee

Robert Reed, of Kunkletown, was apprehended near the PNC Bank in Lower Nazareth Township after a short foot pursuit.

A Kunkletown, Monroe County, man allegedly struck a Kohl's employee in the face after he was stopped at the store's exit for trying to steal a pair of sneakers, according to Colonial Regional Police. On Dec. 20 around 2:22 p.m., police say, Robert Reed, 26, allegedly put on a new pair of sneakers and tried to walk out of Kohl's Department Store in Lower Nazareth Township without paying. When an employee met Reed at the store's exit, Reed refused to stop and fought with the employee, according to police. Reed allegedly struck the employee, who was not named, in the face. Reed then fled on foot and was later found across the street at Wegmans, police say. But that's not the end. Reed ran out of Wegmans before finally being apprehended by …

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