POTTSTOWN PA – A pair of alleged burglars was arrested without incident early Friday afternoon (Nov. 4, 2011) in Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township by a police task force of officers from several departments, after the two were said to have been caught in the act of removing jewelry, cash and coins from a home on Fox Hollow Lane in the township.

Facing multiple charges in connection with the incident and others are Jason Waldt, 29, of Spring Street, Pottstown PA; and Megan McCormick, 34, of Stacie Drive, Gilbertsville PA, Lower Pottsgrove Police Lt. Michael Foltz announced. Both were committed to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility on $150,000 cash bail following their arraignment by District Justice Edward Kropp Sr.

The task force, consisting of officers from Lower Pottsgrove, New Hanover, Upper Pottsgrove, Limerick, East Coventry, North Coventry and Pottstown, turned its eyes on Waldt and McCormick as suspects following evidence that developed from an earlier burglary investigation, Foltz indicated. A team had them under surveillance Friday at about 1 p.m. as they left Pottstown in a white sport utility vehicle.

Police watching the couple’s activities alleged they “caught them in the act of committing a burglary” at the Fox Hollow Lane residence. The team stopped their vehicle not far away, in the 1300 block of Buchert Road, and took them into custody, Foltz said.

Both are charged with two counts each of burglary, criminal conspiracy to burglary, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, possessing an instrument of crime, theft, and receiving stolen property. Waldt also was wanted on an outstanding bench warrant for probation violation. Additionally, McCormick was charged with two counts of dealing with unlawful proceeds of a crime, and had a detainer filed for probation violation.

There may be other charges pending, Foltz noted. Police obtained a search warrant for the SUV, and recovered “a considerable amount of stolen jewelry, cash and coins,” he said.

The departments’ cooperation grew from Lower Pottsgrove’s active investigation of a series of burglaries that occurred during the past month throughout the township and in adjacent municipalities, Foltz explained. The break that caused them to suspect Waldt and McCormick, he added, followed a burglary reported Monday (Oct. 31) in the 1400 block of Briarwood Lane, Lower Pottsgrove.

In that case, burglars were reported to have smashed a front window and unlocked a door, then took items including jewelry, coins and a digital camera. Investigators tracked some of the goods to a local “cash for gold kiosk,” and merchant records there “reflected that McCormick sold the stolen gold to them soon after the burglary,” according to Foltz.

Evidence developed by police appears to connect both subjects to the two burglaries, he said.

Other coverage:

• Pair charged with Lower Pottsgrove burglaries (The Mercury)

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