PENNSYLVANIA MORE THEFT CHARGES FILED AGAINST COMPUTER THEFT RING THAT TARGETED SCHOOLS Public Opinion - www.publicopiniononline.com - Chambersburg, PA
Police in three counties have tied 13 burglaries of nine schools over the last six months to a ring involving at least four and possibly five men, according to court documents.

Multiple charges of burglary, theft, criminal conspiracy, attempted burglary, trespass and criminal mischief were filed Monday against two of the men arrested Jan. 5 following a break-in at a Boiling Springs elementary school, and a fourth man has been charged in connection with one of the 13 burglaries.

An investigation is continuing to determine if a fifth unidentified man was involved in any of the burglaries, according to Newville Police Chief Randy Finkey.

Charges of burglary, theft, criminal conspiracy, attempted burglary, criminal mischief and criminal trespass were filed Monday against Troy A. Wenger Jr., 24, whose current address is listed as 3472 Letterkenny Road, Chambersburg, and Anthony L. Wilson, Newville. Wenger listed a Fort Loudon address in earlier court documents.

Both men, along with Juan Carlos Samayoa, 25, of St. Thomas, were arrested following the Jan. 5 burglary of Monroe Elementary School and have had similar charges filed against them in that case.

While additional charges were not filed against Samayoa on Monday, a spokeswoman for Cumberland County District Judge Mark W. Martin said more charges are expected to be filed before his preliminary hearing on Feb. 7.

Samayoa's hearing was postponed because he has obtained the services of a new attorney who needs additional time to review the case and charges.

Joshua Brady Smith, 20, Newville, has been charged with burglary, theft, conspiracy and receiving stolen property in connection with a burglary Dec. 14 at Mifflin Elementary School in Lower Mifflin Township and attempted burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary in connection with an attempted break-in at Hamilton Elementary School earlier the same night.

Those charges were filed Monday before Magisterial District Judge Vivian Cohick.

Smith is free on $25,000 unsecured bail.

Wilson and Samayoa were in Cumberland County Prison Monday afternoon, where they are being held in lieu of $250,000 bail.

Wenger has posted bail, also set at $250,000.

The string of burglaries in Franklin, Cumberland and Huntingdon counties began July 5, 2005, with a break-in at Newville Elementary School, where culprits broke windows at the rear of the school to gain entry and then stole 10 computers, two digital projectors, one network switch and one Wave Digital computer. The stolen property was valued at $15,709 and property damage for the broken windows was set at $78.

Three days later, burglars entered Big Spring High School, Newville, and stole two hand-held computers, two computer towers with keyboards and mice and a Sony bookshelf stereo system that was so new it was still in the box. The value of the stolen property was set at more than $2,000.

Less than a week later, on July 14, burglars struck again, this time at Big Spring Middle School, stealing seven computer monitors, two video cards taken directly from computer towers, one computer tower and its keyboard and mouse, as well as a Zip drive. That property was valued at $1,557.

A week later, July 21, burglars struck the same middle school again, going back this time for RAM cards, hard drives and memory cards, and taking two complete computers for good measure. That property was valued at $2,425. The burglars were responsible for property damage estimated at $188 while getting into the school, according to court documents.

The burglars first struck Franklin County during the early morning hours of Aug. 12, breaking into Lurgan Elementary School in the Chambersburg Area School District and stealing 14 Dell computer systems valued at $16,192.

Then on Nov. 3, Grandview Elementary School, also in the Chambersburg district, was broken into and 27 laptop computers, one Palm Pilot, three Kenwood headsets, a Yacker Tracker noise measuring device, a special monitor for the visually impaired and miscellaneous computer-related items were taken.

That was the burglars' biggest haul, with equipment valued at more than $40,000, reported missing and property damage estimated at $2,550.

The burglaries continued throughout November and December: Plainfield Elementary School in West Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County, on Dec. 9 with more than $22,000 in equipment taken and $400 of property damage done; Lurgan again on Nov. 10 with $8,573 of equipment stolen and property damage of $800; Grandview for a second time Dec. 3, with almost $23,000 of computers and equipment taken; Rockhill Elementary School in Huntingdon County on Dec. 7, with almost $13,000 of equipment stolen; Mifflin Elementary again on Dec. 14, when the burglars strayed from the computer labs they had been targeting and helped themselves to candy and money from the faculty lounge and student cafeteria after looting the school of $11,517 in computer and electronics equipment.

The last robbery in December occurred over the Christmas holiday as Hamilton Elementary School in Carlisle was broken into and $11,756 in computers and electronic equipment taken. The burglars also went to a break room at the school and took money, police said. Property damage was estimated at $1,235, according to court records.

The burglars' downfall came on Jan. 5, when they struck at Monroe Elementary School in Boiling Springs, and this time set off multiple silent burglar alarms, sending the lone state police team on duty that night speeding to the school, where the two troopers saw a car with its headlights off speeding out of the parking lot.

They chased the car for about five miles at speeds up to 75 miles an hour, until it was cornered in a driveway. The three occupants jumped out and ran, with the troopers in pursuit.

Samayoa doubled back and jumped in the troopers' now empty cruiser and was shot as he tried to escape. He spent several days under guard in a hospital before being arraigned on burglary and other charges related to the robbery.

Court documents filed with Martin on Monday indicated a fifth man implicated by one of the alleged burglars was being looked at as an additional suspect in at least one of the school burglaries, but he has not been charged in the case.

Wenger told police he committed the first burglary at Lurgan by himself, according to an affidavit filed with Martin. He faces a total of 13 counts of burglary, while Wilson was only charged with 12 counts in the latest court documents.

An additional conspiracy charge was also filed against Wenger Monday in the Monroe burglary as well as a charge of driving a vehicle with willful and wanton disregard for the safety of persons and property, a violation of the state's vehicle code.

Police allege that Wenger drove the getaway car in the Monroe school burglary.

Originally published January 24, 2006