Burglary, arson trio member sentenced

A Delaware woman who took part in a long chain of robberies and arsons in four counties was sentenced to county jail, probation and community service for her role in the conspiracies.

Megan Elise Gawel, 21, of the 200 block of West Silver Fox Road, was sentenced Friday to about a week of time already served to 23 months in county jail, according to court documents, followed by five years of probation, for a total period of supervision

of about seven years. Gawel entered an open guilty plea on five counts of burglary in March.

Montgomery County President Judge William J. Furber also ordered that Gawel complete 1,000 hours of community service and pay her share of the $2,200 court-ordered restitution to victims, a cost shared with co-defendants Ryan Nelson and Kevin Colosimo.

Gawel, along with Nelson and Colosimo, were arrested after a grand jury investigation into as many as 27 burglaries in Montgomery, Chester, Delaware and Berks counties. Several of the burglaries were accompanied by arson. In these instances, there was a fire

started on the range of the kitchen stove, according to report by the investigating grand jury. In each of the burglaries, the homes were vacant, and copper pipes were stolen.

According to the grand jury report, homes in King of Prussia, Lower Moreland, East Norriton, Lower Merion and Limerick were burglarized in Montgomery County. Homes in Hatfield, Pottstown, Meadowbrook, Willow Grove and Elkins Park were also burglarized and set on fire.

In Delaware County, homes in Aston, Havertown, Haverford and Norwood were burglarized and a home in Swarthmore was burned. In Chester County, a Kennett Square home was burglarized.

In March 2014, Nelson and Gawel were arrested for an alleged burglary in Spring Township, Berks

County. Phone records, GPS data and text messages tied them to Colosimo and other burglaries the three committed together, according to the arrest affidavit.

Colosimo, who prosecutors called the ringleader of the trio, was sentenced in March to 8½ to 17 years in state prison.

Nelson pleaded guilty in March to felony charges of conspiracy to commit arson and burglary and four counts of burglary. According to court documents, he was sentenced to six to 23 months in county jail, with five years of probation, for a total period of supervision of about seven years.

The investigation was conducted jointly by state police and authorities from Montgomery and Delaware counties, including police from Pottstown, Limerick, Abington and East Norriton.