Second Alleged Hen's Coins Robber Heads to Trial

The second of three Lansdale men charged in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day robbery of Hen's Coins in Lansdale heads to trial at Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, after all charges — including numerous felonies — were waived at a preliminary hearing Tuesday in Lansdale district court.

Gene "Ray" Kulp, 18, and his cousin, Michael Anthony Creciun, 21, both of the 500 block of Edgemont Avenue, allegedly robbed Hen's Coins and Collectibles in Lansdale Jan. 21 of $9,454 in valuables, in which the owner, Henry Statuti, was assaulted, police said.

Creciun agreed to a stipulated preliminary hearing in February and heads to trial on the same charges as his cousin.

A third man, Anthony Hughes, 25, of West Third Street, Lansdale, was also arrested and charged for his alleged participation in the incident.

Kulp and Creciun allegedly planned to cash in the stolen coins at a Coinstar machine at Acme in Towamencin for money, police said.

Kulp heads to formal arraignment at county court on April 24.

Kulp is charged with:

• Three counts of felony robbery
• Three counts of felony conspiracy to commit robbery
• Felony theft
• Felony conspiracy to commit theft
• Felony aggravated assault
• Felony conspiracy aggravated assault
• Two counts misdemeanor simple assault
• Misdemeanor conspiracy simple assault
• Misdemeanor reckless endangerment
• Misdemeanor conspiracy to commit reckless endangerment
• Misdemeanor use of prohibited or offensive weapon
• Misdemeanor conspiracy to use a prohibited weapon
• Misdemeanor receiving stolen property

Kulp is free on $25,000 cash bail, according to court records.

Kulp and Creciun were arrested by Lansdale Police officers following a directive from Chief Robert McDyre. McDyre informed his officers, including the Street Crimes Unit and Sgt. Ryan Devlin’s patrol squad, to put other assignments on hold and direct all resources into apprehending “those responsible for this heinous assault on our business community.”

The apprehension of Creciun and Kulp began with a black Miami Marlins baseball cap and ended with a gun permit application.

Here’s how it all happened:

On Jan. 21, at 9:08 a.m., Lansdale Police responded to Hen’s Coins and Collectables at 308 W. Main St. for a reported hold-up alarm, police said.

Upon arrival, officers were flagged down by an adjacent business owner, who reported that Statuti, 77, was attacked, according to the affidavit.

Officers arrived and found Statuti inside the store with abrasions and bruising to his ear and redness around his neck, police said. Statuti was out of breath behind the counter.

The owner told police that, between 8:45 and 9 a.m., a young male standing between 5 feet 5 inches tall and 5 feet 10 inches tall, with a thin build, and wearing a baseball hat entered the store and had small talk with him, according to the affidavit.

The man, who police identified as Kulp, asked about an Elvis Presley coin in the glass display case on the west side of the store, police said.

Statuti came out from behind the counter and began to unlock the case, police said.

As the owner began unlocking the case, Kulp allegedly grabbed him from behind in a cross-forearm chokehold, police said.

Kulp then allegedly dragged Statuti by the neck to the rear office of the store. In the process, Statuti's pants fell to his ankles. Statuti told police he thought he was going to die, according to the affidavit.

Statuti told police the chokehold was strong and that he believed he was going to blackout, according to the affidavit.

As he was dragged into the office, a sled and ladder that were stacked in the office near the door fell on top of Statuti as he lay on the floor inside the office.

As Kulp continued to allegedly drag the owner, Creciun entered the store and went to the back room, where he allegedly pulled out a silver-bladed knife and told the victim that he was an “old man” and that they did not want to kill an old man, police said.

While Creciun allegedly stood guard, Kulp went back to the retail area of the store and allegedly began taking items of value, police said.

Five minutes later, Kulp re-entered the office, police said. Kulp and Creciun then allegedly took the victim’s jacket off him and placed it over his face, police said.

Statuti told the duo that he would not tell anyone, as both Creciun and Kulp allegedly told him to lie still on the floor, police said.

The duo walked out the front door, and the owner activated the holdup alarm, police said.

Items stolen included:

• U.S. silver dollars between 1878 and 1935
• John F. Kennedy half dollars between 1964 and 1979
• Benjamin Franklin half dollars
• Susan B. Anthony silver dollars
• Assorted foreign paper currency
• Assorted pre-packaged rolls of U.S. quarters
• U.S. Bicentennial commemorative tokens and other miscellaneous tokens
• Rolls of U.S. half dollars, between 2004 and 2010
• Partial sets of miscellaneous coins
• Other assorted and loose silver coins

At the scene, police recovered a black Miami Marlins hat, worn by Kulp, inside the front door next to the display case, police said. Statuti told police the hat did not belong in the store.

A hat worn by one of two males matched video surveillance footage from Molly Maguire's Pub, police said. The video showed two males, matching descriptions of both suspects, walking south on Wood Street toward West Main Street, prior to the robbery at 8:48 a.m., police said.

The first male was a heavyset white male, wearing a distinct red, white and black-striped hooded sweatshirt. The second male was wearing all black clothing with a black baseball hat with a white "M" on the front, police said.

When investigators saw the video, they recognized Creciun from prior contacts, police said. Creciun would often have a silver-bladed knife on him and would often wear the hooded sweatshirt seen in the video, according to the affidavit.

A second business provided surveillance video that showed both suspects allegedly fleeing the scene, carrying binders and a bag of items, police said.

On Jan. 22, the victim was shown a suspect photograph lineup, and identified Creciun as the man with the knife, police said.

One hour later, and one day after the robbery, Creciun walked into Lansdale Police Department to fill out a gun permit, police said.

Creciun was asked about the robbery and he allegedly alluded to his possible involvement in the robbery, police said.

Creciun was taken into custody and admitted to his role in the robbery, police said.

While being processed at Lansdale Police Station, Creciun asked for leniency in lieu of his cooperation in the investigation, police said.

Creciun also allegedly told police that some of the stolen items were at his house, police said.

While at Lansdale Police headquarters, Creciun received calls from a subject identified as “Ray,” police said.

Using cyber investigative efforts, detectives identified Kulp as a possible suspect, police said.

Judge Harold Borek signed a search warrant on Jan. 22. It was executed at 1:50 p.m. by detectives and patrol officers on Kulp and Creciun's Edgemont Avenue home.

Stolen property from Hen’s, including coins and commodity metals, was recovered in a black and red bag from inside Creciun’s bedroom, police said.

Police discovered “Ray” was Creciun’s cousin, while they were at the residence, police said.

During the search, Kulp arrived home and spoke to police.

Kulp allegedly admitted his involvement in the robbery, police said.

Kulp told detectives that he and Creciun robbed the store, according to the affidavit. Kulp also allegedly admitted to choking and dragging Statuti to the back room, police said.

Kulp told police Creciun had planned the robbery for weeks, police said. He told them Creciun had money problems and devised the plan, police said.

Kulp told police he was wearing a Miami Marlins hat during the robbery, but lost it in the struggle with Statuti, according to the affidavit.

Kulp told police that, after the robbery, both he and Creciun went to Acme on Welsh Road in Towamencin, police said. There, they allegedly cashed in $361.71 in stolen quarters, half dollars and silver dollars via Coin Star, police said.

Detectives found a photograph of a Coin Star receipt on Creciun's cell phone, which he had texted to Kulp's cell phone, according to the affidavit.

Kulp has no criminal record in Pennsylvania, according to court records.

Read more on this case:

• Lansdale Coins and Collectables Shop Robbed Monday
• Two Arrested in Hen's Coins and Collectables Robbery
• Two Cousins Arrested in Hen's Coins Robbery
• Third Arrest Made in Hen's Coins Robbery
• Lansdale Man Charged in Hen's Coins Armed Robbery Heads to Trial
• Letter: Mother of Friend of Lansdale Robbery Suspect Defends Teen