A Pottsville man was charged after an investigation led to the finding of $15,000 worth of stolen items.
According to Chief Richard Wojciechowsky, on Monday March 30, 2020, Pottsville Bureau of Police Det. Joseph Welsh filed criminal charges against William Christensen, 50, of Pottsville for the crimes of Burglary, Trespassing, Attempted Burglary, Theft by Unlawful Taking, Receiving Stolen Property and Possessing Instruments of Crime. Christensen was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Reiley who set bail at $25,000 cash and Christensen was then recommitted to Schuylkill County Prison where he was being held on un-related charges.
The most recent series of charges stem from an investigation conducted by the Pottsville Bureau of Police that began in December of 2019 after a victim reported several items had been stolen from her storage shed leased from ED’S USA Rental, 303 N. 12th Street, Pottsville.
While actively investigating this incident, three additional victims came forward with similar complaints. A subsequent investigation led Pottsville Police to obtain and execute a search warrant at the unit in the storage facility Christensen was renting.
During the course of the execution of this search warrant, officers seized previously reported stolen property.
Investigators then obtained and executed a search warrant at Christensen’s 825 W. Market Street residence which resulted in the recovery of additional property which had been previously reported stolen.
To date the total monetary value of items stolen and recovered is approximately $15,000 with four victims.