Police blotter
The following items are based on information from police, unless otherwise noted:
BURLINGTON COUNTY
Convicted Robber Gets Life Imprisonment: Frederick “Chief” Owle, 49, of Mount Holly, has been sentenced to life in prison for the armed robberies of a Florence Township convenience store and gas station two years ago. Owle, a career criminal who has been arrested on 21separate occasions for theft, burglary, assault, and weapons offenses over the last 30years, now has nine convictions in New Jersey Superior Court. Owle was found guilty in January of two counts of first-degree robbery as well as weapons charges, which were merged with the robbery counts for the purposes of sentencing. Burlington County Assistant Prosecutors Jeremy Lackey and Heather Tran successfully argued that Owle should be sentenced to an extended term as a repeat, violent offender. Burlington County Superior Court Judge Philip E. Haines on Wednesday sentenced Owle to life imprisonment on one of the robbery counts Wednesday and a concurrent 17-year prison sentence on the other count. State law defines life imprisonment as 75years of incarceration. “On the surface, itmight appear that Mr. Owle is going to spend the rest of his life in prison for stealing a pack of cigarettes and a few hundred dollars, but the justification for this sentence is irrefutable,” Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina said Thursday in a press statement. “This defendant has demonstrated total disregard for the law and safety of others time and time again, which warrants the tough sentence we sought.” Owle’s most recent conviction stems from a criminal campaign that began minutes before midnight on April 14, 2017, when he entered the Wawa on Route 130and stood in line with other customers. Upon approaching the counter, he asked the cashier for a pack of Newports. She retrieved the cigarettes from the shelf and after turning back around saw Owle holding a pocket knife and leaning toward her. “Empty the register and give me the cash,” he said to her in a whisper. Instead of complying, the cashier backed away and broadcast over the store’s speaker system that a robbery was occurring. Owle took the Newports from the counter and fled the store. Florence Township police officers responding to the incident were soon informed that another robbery was taking place at the nearby Valero gas station. For this robbery, Owle donned a mask and used a pipe to threaten two attendants, who then handed over approximately $500. With the assistance of the Bordentown Township Police Department and the Burlington Township Police Department, Owle was located and arrested several hours later at the Budget Inn on Route 130in Burlington Township. Alleged Drug Dealer Indicted: Sean Savage, 45, of Clementon, has been indicted on allegations he sold the deadly batch of cocaine to a Burlington County customer who fatally overdosed from the substance last year. A grand jury on Tuesday handed up an indictment charging Savage with first-degree strict liability for druginduced death, third-degree distribution of a controlled dangerous substance, third-degree possession of a controlled dangerous substance and third-degree intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance. The investigation began Feb. 20, 2018, when Evesham Township Police were called to a Hopewell Road residence, where they found a dead body of an adult male who appeared to have overdosed. The police investigation revealed that the drugs responsible for causing the fatal overdose were purchased from Savage. The New Jersey State Police Fugitive Unit arrested Savage in Camden on Sept. 18, 2018. Authorities have not released the identity of the deceased victim. The case is being prosecuted by Burlington County Assistant Prosecutor Jeremy Lackey. The investigation was conducted by the Evesham Township Police Department and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office.