Trio admits to roles in theft

Sentencing pending for two individuals; third defendant receives house arrest

NORRISTOWN » The theft of a safe containing jewelry and cash from a Hatfield Township residence and the subsequent pawning of some of the stolen items has resulted in three people facing court supervision for their various roles in the scheme.

Mohammed Al Rabby Toukir, 24, of the 2600 block of Elroy Road, Hatfield, pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court this week to a felony charge of criminal trespass in connection with the August 2016 incident and remains in the county jail without bail while awaiting sentenc-

“The effect on the victims was largely a sentimental one because a lot of the jewelry that was taken had value to them personally and just can’t be replaced. Some of the property was recovered but only a fraction of the total.” — Assistant District Attorney Matthew Brittenburg

ing. Toukir faces a possible maximum sentence of 3 ½ to seven years in prison although state sentencing guidelines could allow for less jail time.

Subarna Uddin, 23, of the 800 block of Wedgewood Drive, Lansdale, who was Toukir’s girlfriend at the time, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of receiving stolen property in connection with the incident and was permitted to remain free on bail pending sentencing later this year by Judge Gail A. Weilheimer. Subarna Uddin also faces

a possible maximum sentence of 3 ½ to seven years in prison.

Mohammed Nazim Uddin, 48, father of Subarna, also of the Wedgewood Drive address, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a charge of receiving stolen property in connection with the incident and was sentenced to three to 23 months under house arrest, to be followed by three years’ probation, as part of a plea agreement.

“Between the three of them, Mr. Uddin was the least involved. His role was a little more limited,” said Assistant District Attorney Matthew Brittenburg, who explained Mohammed Uddin was not involved in the actual theft of the jewelry.

With his guilty plea, Mohammed Uddin, who spoke with the help of a Bengali interpreter, admitted that he received jewelry and other property from his daughter and Toukir when he should have known that the items were stolen. Prosecutors alleged Mohammed Uddin then assisted his daughter and Toukir with pawning some of the items.

“The effect on the victims was largely a sentimental one because a lot of the jewelry that was taken had value to them personally and just can’t be replaced,” Brittenburg said. “Some of the property was recovered but only a fraction of the total.”

Defense lawyer Edward J. Fabick III, who represented Mohammed Uddin, said his client regrets the incident.

“While he feels that it was his daughter and her codefendant that were mainly culpable he did take responsibility for his part in this incident and feels that what the court did here was ultimately a fair settlement under the circumstances,” Fabick said.

The Uddins and Toukir will have to share in the payment of $5,331 in restitution that remains in the case.

Brittenburg alleged Toukir and Subarna Uddin were involved in the actual theft of the items from the safe in order to “fuel a drug habit.”

“It was motivated by a desire to get money for drugs,” Brittenburg said.

An investigation of the trio began on Aug. 13, 2016, when Hatfield police received a report of a burglary at a home in the 1200 block of Wedgewood Drive. The homeowners told detectives they had discovered one of their closet doors had been pried open and a safe located inside had been taken, according to the criminal complaint filed by Hatfield Detective Richard Hoffner.

Inside the safe was more than $11,000 in jewelry, more than $3,000 in U.S. and Indian currency and other items including passports, credit cards, personal checks and birth and marriage certificates, according to a criminal complaint. Additionally, a duffel bag containing various religious items worth nearly $900, which had been setting on top of the safe, was missing, detectives alleged.

Investigators found no signs of forced entry to the residence.

Two days later, a resident of the 900 block of Wedgewood Drive informed Hatfield detectives that outside his residence he found the duffel bag, which still contained several items the victims identified as having been stolen from their home, police said.

On Aug. 28, according to court documents, Toukir went to Hatfield police and claimed to investigators that Subarna Uddin had told him that she entered the house and stole the safe.

But Subarna Uddin, while admitting to pawning some of the stolen jewelry, claimed that Toukir admitted to her that he committed the burglary, and that she saw the stolen safe in his car, according to the criminal complaint. Subarna Uddin also claimed that she gave one of the stolen pieces of jewelry to her father, who pawned it, and that she had her father drive her to the King of Prussia Mall where she used a money exchange service to swap the stolen Indian currency for U.S. currency.

Subarna Uddin told investigators that she and Toukir used the stolen cash and illicit proceeds from the pawned jewelry to purchase heroin and crack cocaine, which they used together, detectives alleged.

“Between the three of them, Mr. Uddin was the least involved. His role was a little more limited.” — Assistant District Attorney Matthew Brittenburg