Man charged in 2 theft cases

CRIME

A Mount Penn man is in Berks County Prison following his arraignment Tuesday night, April 2, on charges in two theft cases.

Nicholas I. Prussman, 31, of the 2400 block of Cumberland Avenue was jailed in lieu of a total of $5,000 bail following arraignment before District Judge Ann L. Young in Reading Central Court.

According to investigators:

Exeter Township police said Prussman took jewelry valued at more than $6,000 from a home where he was staying temporarily. The thefts were reported after the mother of his friend was going to put on the rings for church Feb. 18 but discovered them missing from the jewelry box in the master bedroom.

Prussman later admitted to his friend that he stole the rings and sold them to a pawn shop. Police recovered the rings, which were family heirlooms, but the pawn shop filed a claim for the money it paid Prussman.

On March 4, Central Berks Regional police were called to investigate the theft of six cartons of cigarettes from a storage cabinet in a back room of Turkey Hill Mini Mart, 3057 St. Lawrence Ave., St. Lawrence.

The store manager said Prussman entered the store March 2 about 5:45 p.m. and asked to use the bathroom. The manager allowed him access to the backroom area where the restroom is.

Once in the back room, Prussman pried open the door of a cabinet and removed six cartons of cigarettes with a total retail value of $628.

Central Berks Detective Ronald E. Linderman viewed security camera footage showing Prussman breaking into the cabinet and taking the cigarettes. He filed the charge March 27 and requested an arrest warrant.

Arrest details were unavailable.