Lansdale Man Heading to Court for Alleged Credit, Gift Card Thefts

A Lansdale man, who heads to county arraignment tomorrow on theft charges from Montgomery Township, now has accusations of misdemeanor credit card, gift card and cellphone theft tacked on in Lansdale Borough.

Joshua Stinson, 23, last known address of Lansdale, heads to Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas on October 10 for arraignment on the Lansdale offenses.

Stinson had a charge of receiving stolen property and a charge of theft by unlawful taking withdrawn during a stipulated preliminary hearing Tuesday at the court of District Judge Harold Borek, according to Dan Sokil of The Reporter.

Stinson, who has faced prison time for previous theft charges, faces one count each of theft by unlawful taking, theft of property reported lost or stolen, receiving stolen property and theft from a motor vehicle, according to court records.

Bail was set at 10 percent of $3,000, according to court records.

Stinson June 28 on East Second Street when he was arrested by Lansdale Police on a Montgomery Township warrant, police said. 

Stinson had a hearing in July before District Judge Andrea Duffy in Montgomeryville on three misdemeanor charges filed by Montgomery Township: Theft by Unlawful Taking of Moveable Property, Access Device Fraud and Identity Theft.

On July 2 at 2 p.m., Lansdale Police arrested Stinson after seeing him walking on Walnut Street, police said.

In his possession were credit cards, gift cards and a cell phone, police said. With the exception of the cell phone and one of the gift cards, the remaining property had been reported stolen June 29 by a resident of the 100 block of East Second Street, police said. 

The resident told police the items were stolen from a car parked by their house between the overnight hours of June 28 and June 29.

Police used the recovered phone to contact the owner, who was not aware his phone was stolen, police said. The owner thought the phone was in a friend's car where he had left it the night before on July 4, police said. 

Police said Stinson admitted to the thefts and was released to Montgomery Township Police on their warrant and a Montgomery County Probation detainer, police said.

In the Montgomeryville incident, Stinson allegedly stole a credit card, an iPod, $10 in cash and a pack of Marlboro Lights cigarettes from a purse of a  employee on May 27, according to an affidavit.

Stinson allegedly used the credit card to buy ice cream at Wawa, according to court records.

All in all, he allegedly racked up $10.48 on a TD Bank Visa card stolen from the victim, according to court papers.

The victim reported to police on May 27 that her wallet had been stolen from her purse from the employee locker room between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., according to the affidavit.

The victim eventually found her wallet in a trash can in the men’s bathroom.

TD Bank fraud investigator Sarah Gumba reported three fraudulent charges on May 27: $4.28 at a Wawa in Montgomeryville at 6:08 p.m.; $3.42 at the 7-Eleven in Montgomeryville at 6:14 p.m.; and $2.78 from the Wawa in Colmar at 6:54 p.m.

Closed circuit TV video of the transaction at Wawa in Colmar was obtained, police said. The subject using the stolen card was a white male, heavy build, with short hair, police said.

He was wearing a white football jersey with the number “21” on the front. 
The suspect purchased a Nestle orange popsicle and a Twix ice cream bar for $2.78, police said.

A photo of the suspect, identified as Stinson, was distributed to area law enforcement.

On June 16, a Lansdale Police officer found Stinson in the borough, according to court records.

Stinson was wearing a white football jersey with the number “21” on the front, police said.

Stinson has been tried on criminal charges in Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas in four separate incidents since March 2011.

In November 2011, he pleaded guilty to theft by unlawful taking stemming from a July 2011 arrest in Lansdale. He was placed on two years probation, according to court records.

In November 2011, he also pleaded guilty to theft and defiant trespassing stemming from a March 2011 arrest in Montgomery Township. He was put on consecutive one-year probations on each charge, according to court records.

In November 2011, he pleaded guilty to theft from a motor vehicle, stemming from a November 2010 arrest in Montgomery Township. He was sentenced to a minimum of 130 days in prison, according to court records.

In July 2011, Stinson pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property, use and possession of drug paraphernalia and allowing illegal use of a license plate, stemming from an arrest in Hilltown Township, according to court records. He was sentenced in Bucks County Court of Common Pleas to one year probation and a maximum of time served to 23 months in prison, according to court records.

Stinson has three active cases open in Bucks County Court of Common Pleas, all related to a request for special probation and parole supervision, according to court records.