OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY RISA VETRI FERMAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY KEVIN R. STEELE FIRST ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY COUNTY OF MONTGOMERY COURTHOUSE P.O. BOX 311 NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA 19404-0311 EDMUND H. JUSTICE CHIEF COUNTY DETECTIVE STEVEN J. LATZER CHIEF OF STAFF DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE (610) 278-3090 DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S FAX (610) 278-3095 COUNTY DETECTIVE BUREAU (610) 278-3368 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AUGUST 13, 2009 MULTIPLE ARRESTS ANNOUNCED FOR 14 COMPLETED AND 3 ATTEMPTED DAYTIME, RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES BETWEEN MAY 19, 2009 AND AUGUST 6, 2009 ALONG ROUTE 63 (WELSH ROAD) Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman and Chief William J. Kelly of Abington Township, Chief James E. Gardner Hatboro Borough, Chief Robert H.
Ruxton of Horsham Township, Chief John P. Scholly of Lower Gwynedd Township, Chief Peter C. Hasson of Lower Moreland Township, Chief Terrence P. Thompson of Upper Dublin and Chief Thomas J. Nestel of Upper Moreland Township announce the arrest of THOMAS BEECH (DOB 10/16/84), JOSEPH QUIRK (DOB 03/19/86), MATTHEW NEALIS (DOB 7/31/86), MICHAEL PAUL (DOB 03/09/86), and DANIEL JOLLY (DOB 05/08/86) for Corrupt Organizations, Burglary and related charges for their part in a criminal enterprise responsible for 14 completed and 3 attempted daytime, residential burglaries between May 19, 2009 and August 6, 2009 along Route 63 (Welsh Road) in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Almost all of the burglaries involved entry into the home through an unlocked door or window and little, if any, force. Investigators in Abington Township, Hatboro Borough, Horsham Township, Lower Gwynedd Township, Lower Moreland Township, Upper Dublin and Upper Moreland Townships created a task force to address a significant number of daytime residential burglaries occurring along the Route 63 corridor of eastern Montgomery County. The dates and addresses of the burglaries involved are as follows: May 18, 2009 at 10 Mountain Ash Lane, Horsham Township; May 22, 2009 at 7 Mountain Ash Lane, Horsham Township; June 17, 2009 at 14 Mountain Ash Lane, Horsham Township; July 13, 2009 at 1202 Herbert Road, Abington Township; July 13, 2009 at 1441 Stockton Road, Abington Township; July 15, 2009 at 26 Rapp Run Road, Upper Dublin Township; July 15, 2009 at 1431 Dreshertown Road, Upper Dublin Township; July 16, 2009 at 1700 Holmes Road, Upper Dublin Township; July 16, 2009 at 1409 Dublin Road, Upper Dublin Township; July 21, 2009 at 1220 Welsh Road, Lower Moreland Township; July 23, 2009 at 2286 Deerpath Road, Lower Moreland Township; July 24, 2009 at 2666 Pine Road, Lower Moreland Township; July 24, 2009 at 2283 Deerpath Road, Lower Moreland Township; July 24, 2009 at 1789 Old Welsh Road, Abington Township; July 25, 2009 at 802 Welsh Road, Horsham Township; August 4, 2009 at 709 Tennis Avenue, Lower Gwynedd Township; August 6, 2009 at 1412 Dublin Road, Upper Dublin Township. Investigators received vital information concerning an unfamiliar vehicle in the neighborhood on July 16, 2009 when 1409 Dublin Road, Upper Dublin Township was burglarized. A neighbor and her adult children noticed a silver Nissan Maxima parked in front of the home and made a note of the vehicle description, registration plate, and photographed the vehicle and driver, a heavyset white male with a chinstrap beard. When the neighbor learned of the burglary she contacted Det. Whisler of the Upper Dublin Township Police Department. The task force began investigating the Nissan Maxima which was registered to a MICHAEL PAUL of 6 Red Maple Lane, Levittown, PA. PAUL works for Village Thrift Stores, Inc., who is contracted by Purple Heart to collect donations. Investigators began significant surveillance of PAUL, the Maxima, Village Thrift and in the target area in which homes had been burglarized. This surveillance revealed PAUL would allow a heavyset white male with a chinstrap beard to use his vehicle regularly. The male would pick PAUL S car up at Village Thrift Stores, Inc. This vehicle was spotted near several burglary locations during the course of the investigation. This male was the same man photographed by the neighbors in Upper Dublin and was spotted at 3:59 P.M. driving the Maxima and entering the Dunkin
Donuts in Horsham Township on July 24, 2009 by Upper Dublin surveillance officers. A neighboring property in Horsham Township, 802 Welsh Road, was burglarized some time between 3:30 P.M. on July 24, 2009 and 4:30 P.M. on July 25, 2009. Detective Daniel Wade of the Upper Dublin Police Department obtained the video surveillance footage from the Dunkin Donuts and confirmed the male was the same heavyset white male with the chinstrap beard witnesses identified earlier. Ultimately, by accessing PAUL s MySpace page, the heavyset, white male with the chinstrap beard was identified as JOSEPH QUIRK. On Thursday, August 06, 2009, Detective Bryan McCauley of the Upper Moreland Police Department and Detective Sergeant John Becker of the Hatboro Police Department were assisting with the investigation and conducting surveillance in Upper Dublin Township. While in a residential neighborhood, the detectives observed an unoccupied, teal colored Chevrolet Cavalier which was registered to a female in Philadelphia. Detectives also observed a white male walking up and down the street and back and forth across the street several times near the Cavalier while talking on a cell phone. The male entered the Cavalier and began driving through the neighborhood stopping at several locations while continuing to talk on the cell phone. At one point the driver made a u-turn and ultimately stopped at Dublin Road and Slayton Drive. The detectives then observed a second male carrying a white bag running from the driveway area of a home on Dublin Road. The male got into the passenger side of the Cavalier. When the Cavalier began to drive away Detectives McCauley and Becker stopped the Cavalier. The driver asked Det. McCauley why he was being stopped and Detective McCauley replied, You know what this is about. The driver then blurted out, I just get paid to drive him around. Investigators learned that 1412 Dublin Road had just been burglarized. Both men were taken into custody. The driver was subsequently identified as MATTHEW NEALIS and the other male was identified at THOMAS BEECH. Investigators interviewed BEECH and NEALIS and learned that BEECH was involved in all the burglaries in question. Typically, QUIRK would drive him to the target home in PAUL s car which QUIRK rented for the purpose of committing the burglaries. On two occasions, DANIEL JOLLY drove BEECH to the burglaries and on three occasions NEALIS drove BEECH to the locations. Investigators also interviewed PAUL who admitted to receiving payment to allow QUIRK to use his car to drive BEECH to commit burglaries. PAUL also admitted to assisting with the taking the stolen items to pawn shops in exchange for additional cash. QUIRK also gave a written statement to investigators detailing his involvement in the burglaries and explaining how he made arrangements to rent PAUL s Maxima for the purpose of driving BEECH to commit burglaries and receiving cash in exchange for driving. Police have recovered a significant amount of jewelry, cameras, a starter pistol, a pellet gun, a television, computers and 2 of three (3) firearms stolen during the burglaries through the execution of a search warrant and a consent search of QUIRK S home.
The following defendants have been arrested: THOMAS BEECH and MATTHEW NEALIS. Police have warrants and are actively searching for the co-defendants. The defendants are scheduled to be arraigned today at 5 pm before Magisterial District Judge Patricia Zaffarano. Judge Zaffarano s Court is located 1301 Bethlehem Pike in Ambler. Assistant District Attorney Todd Stephens is assigned to prosecute the case. Approved for release: Risa Vetri Ferman WATCH PRESS CONFERENCE