Man waives hearing in Hatfield retail theft case

One suspect arrested in alleged Valentine’s Day incident waived hearing while co-defendant’s hearing was continued to end of March

LANSDALE >> One of two men accused of going on a fraudulent Valentine’s Day shopping spree at a Hatfield Township department store using phony identification waived his preliminary hearing Thursday afternoon, while the other defendant had his hearing continued to later this month.

Maxim Valdes-Tanon, 30, of Telford, appeared in Lansdale district court and waived for trial 10 criminal counts, including felony counts of retail theft, conspiracy, receiving stolen property and other charges.

Bail was reduced from $50,000 cash to $50,000 unsecured per an agreement with prosecutors, and Valdes-Tanon was expected to be released from custody to await his April 26 formal arraignment in county court.

His co-defendant, 23-year-old Alfredo Hernandez-Encarnacio, of Hazleton, had his hearing continued to May 23 at the request of his attorney, records indicate. HernandezEncarnacio is facing 18 felony and misdemeanor criminal counts, including theft, identity theft, retail theft, conspiracy, forgery, access device fraud, receiving stolen property and other offenses.

Hatfield Township police have said in a criminal complaint that on the afternoon of Feb. 14, ValdesTanon and Hernandez-Encarnacio drove to the store in a black Acura with a license plate that was later determined to have been reported stolen by Telford police that same day.

Once inside the store, according to the complaint, Hernandez-Encarnacio opened a Kohl’s credit card account with a driver’s license bearing what was later determined to be a fake name, then along with Valdes-Tanon went around the store selecting merchandise including two flatscreen televisions, an Apple watch, several pairs of jeans and other items.

The duo’s activity raised the suspicions of a store loss prevention employee who called police, according to court documents. Arriving cops were given a photograph of the driver’s license that Hernandez-Encarnacio had provided to open the Kohl’s account, and police traced the driver’s license number to a Phoenixville man to whom it had been issued, the complaint indicates.

After confirming that the driver’s license was a fake and that Hernandez-Encarnacio appeared to have committed identity fraud, cops stopped the pair after they paid for the TVs and other merchandise — the value of which totaled nearly $1,000 — with the newly opened Kohl’s credit card.

Hernandez-Encarnacio allegedly had a box in his pants pocket containing a necklace and earrings that he didn’t purchase, and there were two Valentine’s Day cards in their cart that they stole as well, according to police.

Both men were taken into custody.

Later, while inside a police holding cell, ValdesTanon allegedly “removed a box containing jewelry and earrings from [behind his genitals] where he had secreted it,” court documents state. The jewelry was valued at $196.10, the complaint indicates.