The second and third men accused in a June burglary of chainsaws from a local business were arraigned Tuesday before District Judge Dominic Cercone.
The alleged burglary has been connected to other crimes, including a truck arson.
Michael Randolph, 45, of 271 Buffalo Road, Washington, Pa., and James S. Hammond Jr., 39, of 1600 Walters Mill Road, Somerset, had both been in a gang — the Pale Kings — in prison with codefendant James E. Bunce Sr., 32, of Bradford, the criminal complaint stated.
At the time of the allegations, all three had warrants out for their arrest for allegedly escaping a halfway house, court records said.
According to the criminal complaint, at 11:04 p.m. June 28, Bunce, Randolph and Hammond arrived in a pickup truck at Stoney North Enterprises Inc.; Randolph and Hammond exited the truck, took large rocks out of the truck bed, which they used to break the glass in the main entrance door, and entered the store.
They took several pieces of power equipment: five Husqvarna chainsaws, a Husqvarna power cutter and a Poulan chainsaw, worth a total of $2,971.74, court records stated.
“Based on the surveillance video these males appeared to know exactly where the saws were kept, and how they were stored,” the complaint stated.
Bunce served as the driver and stayed in the truck during the burglary, court records indicated.
The surveillance footage also showed two men entering the store earlier in the day while the store was open; the men looked at the same equipment that was later stolen and did not purchase anything.
The burglary was one of several connected criminal incidents reported over a period of a few days. Investigation into the burglary overlapped with investigations into other matters.
In addition to charges in the alleged Stony North burglary, Bunce is facing a separate case for allegations that between 6 p.m. June 28 and 9:45 p.m. June 29, he entered a campsite in Foster Township and took numerous items.
When he tried to sell one of the stolen items — a dirt bike — the potential buyer refused after learning it was stolen; when asked what he would buy, he replied chainsaws, court records indicated. It was that request that allegedly prompted the Stony North burglary.
Bunce is also facing arson charge in a third case in which he is alleged to have set fire June 29 to a pick-up truck on Songbird Road in Bradford Township. That pick-up truck was allegedly the getaway vehicle in the chainsaw burglary.
The truck had been reported stolen from Houston, Pa., on June 25, according to the complaint.
It does not appear that any of the three is facing state charges in the reported truck theft at this time.
While court records indicate Randolph and Hammond may have been involved in the alleged truck arson and campsite thefts, it appears Bunce is the only one currently facing criminal charges.
Cercone set bail for Randolph and Hammond at $30,000 each, but both defendants were already incarcerated in state prison prior to the arraignment. They are scheduled to appear in Central Court on Jan. 24.
