Gilbertsville pair arrested for tool thefts

DOUGLASS (Mont.) — A pair of Gilbertsville men were arrested for stealing tools from a multitude of local garages and sheds last month.

Shawn Lee Moll, 22, and Zachary Simon, 18, were arrested after police stopped the car they were both riding in because Moll’s license came up as suspended and noticed, “in plain view,” some of the tools reported as stolen, according to Douglass (Mont.) Township Police.

Police already developed Moll as a suspect in the case when they stopped him the afternoon of June 15 in the string of burglaries that were first reported June 7 in Douglass.

Both Moll and Simon are charged with 13 felony counts of burglary and 13 felony counts of breaking and entering, among other related charges.

There are also other cases outside of Douglass and some that may not have been discovered or reported yet, according to Detective Robert Evans, of the Douglass (Mont.) Police.

“The state police are still investigating,” in Berks County, he said. “Not officially, (there are) probably an additional four or five (cases).”

Evans said the pair targeted tools specifically from sheds and garages.

“(They took) high item tools, what they thought they could get the most money from,” Evans said.

According to police, the items stolen ranged from miter saws, leaf blowers, chain saws, welders, a machete and, eventually, even an old Batman and Robin metal clock.

Moll and Simon allegedly entered both unlocked garages and sheds or pried them open by some means.

Evans said in some instances sheds were just broken apart by sheer physical force.

According to police, early in the morning of June 11, Douglass Police responded to a call for a suspicious male in the area of 200 Buchert Road. Police made contact with the man, who identified himself as Shawn Moll, but he reportedly explained that he was walking to a nearby friend’s house to go to work.

Eventually, a victim of theft recognized his property at Cash Converters, at 223 Shoemaker Road, in Pottstown. Police determined that between May 17 and June 11, two white males were selling tools at pawn shop. One was identified as Shawn Noll.

June 13, police at Cash Converters allegedly noticed Moll carrying tools into the store. After running the plates on the car Moll was moving back and forth from, police determined his license was expired.

Early in the afternoon of June 15, a Douglass police officer pulled Moll over on Jackson Road between Merkel Road and Route 100.

While questioning Moll, whose passengers included his girlfriend and Simon, the officer noted the tools in the car and recognized them as some of those reported as stolen, according to police.

Police said Moll and Simon claimed some of the tools were Simon’s and some were Simon’s uncle’s. Simon reportedly said they were taking the tools to Simon’s uncle’s home.

Moll and Simon were arrested but Moll’s girlfriend in the car was not, as police determined she was unaware the tools were stolen.

When asked about the two men, she said she wasn’t sure of Simon’s potential involvement in the alleged crimes, but “(Shawn’s) known for (stealing) and has sticky fingers.”

Simon allegedly admitted to the crimes and said Moll would drop him off in an area to commit the crimes, then get picked up. Moll knew what was going on the entire time, Simon reportedly said.

Originally, Moll allegedly kept the stolen items in his girlfriend’s garage but some tools were also kept in a storage locker Simon had.

“A majority of the property was recovered in (the vehicle from the traffic stop),” Evans said.

Another quantity of stolen property was taken from Simon’s storage locker, police said.

Bail was set at $25,000 cash for both Simon and Moll. Moll did not post his bail, but Simon did July 6. Both face a preliminary hearing before District Judge Maurice Saylor July 17.