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Jamal Reid, 35, of Philadelphia, faces nearly 40 felony charges related to a string of break-ins and stick-ups over a 10-month period, said the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office in a release.
A multi-jurisdictional task force of police investigators from across the region believes that from May 2021 to March 2022, Reid victimized businesses in Abington, Bensalem, Cheltenham, Rockledge, Upper Moreland, and Philadelphia, prosecutors said.
The task force was assembled during the spree when detectives noticed that the crimes "had a common scheme" —they tended to take place in businesses with Pennsylvania Skill game machines during the overnight hours, the DA's Office said.
Once inside, police said, the suspects targeted cash registers, gaming machines, and safes. In two incidents, the burglars broke into car dealerships and stole vehicles, key fobs, and "other items," investigators noted.
The task force identified Reid as a suspect using DNA and fingerprint evidence as well as cell phone data that tied him to the scene of the crimes, the DA's Office wrote.
Among the items stolen were a safe containing $16,000, a BMW, a Mercedes, and an entire ATM, police said. Investigators believe Reid's haul totaled $290,761.37.
In police documents, detectives said there are other unsolved burglaries from the time period that match Reid's alleged MO. Those cases remain under investigation, they wrote.
Reid was arraigned on the charges on Saturday, June 3 when his bail was set at $10,077 cash. He is scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing on July 21.
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