PINE CREEK TWP., Pa. (EYT) – A hearing is scheduled for today for Brookville man accused of stealing and attempting to use a woman’s debit card.
Court documents indicate 31-year-old Jake Thomas McAlexander is scheduled to stand for a preliminary hearing in front of Magisterial District Judge Gregory M. Bazylak at 10:45 a.m. on May 4, on the following charges:
– Identity Theft, Misdemeanor 1
– Access Device Issued to Another Who Did Not Auth Use, Misdemeanor 1
– Theft From A Motor Vehicle, Misdemeanor 3
– Posses Access Device Knowing Counterfeit, Altered, Misdemeanor 3
– Retail Theft-Take Merchandise, Summary
McAlexander is also scheduled for a second preliminary hearing at the same time and date on the following charges:
– Forgery – Alter Writing, Felony 2
– Receiving Stolen Property, Misdemeanor 1
The charges stem from two reported incidents in Jefferson County.
Identity Theft Incident
According to a criminal complaint, around 11:29 a.m. on December 30, 2020, Punxsutawney-based State Police were dispatched to a health care center on State Route 28 to speak with a known victim who reported a theft.
The victim told police that during her lunch break, she discovered someone had entered her vehicle and removed her debit card, a twenty-dollar bill, and a pack of cigarettes.
While police were speaking with the victim, she received a call from her bank notifying her that someone had just attempted to use her card at a business on Bennetts Valley Highway in Penfield two times between 12:20 p.m. and 12:21 p.m. on December 30.
Police then requested surveillance footage from the business and the bank statement from the bank.
The footage showed a man in a white Northface beanie with a tan brim, a grey Northface sweatshirt, a dark grey or dark blue Carhart vest, and blue jeans approach the ATM in the store, pull out a card from his left front pants pocket, and attempt to use the card two times between 12:20 p.m. and 12:21 p.m., according to the complaint.
The complaint notes that the footage also shows the same man making a purchase with a twenty-dollar bill pulled from the same pants pocket at 12:42 p.m.
Police found the bank statement showed that ten attempted transactions via Facebook between 12:26 p.m. and 12:29 p.m., seven attempted transactions via the Square app between 12:35 p.m. and 12:39 p.m., and one attempted transaction at a Sheetz store at 6:26 p.m.
Police then requested surveillance footage from the Sheetz store and found the same male exiting a black Subaru Legacy at the gas pumps and attempting to use a card to make a purchase at the gas pump, then going into the store without pumping any gasoline, the complaint states.
According to the complaint, the man then entered the store, walked up to a milkshake machine, using it to make a shake, and leaving without paying for it. The man then got into the vehicle and drove away.
The registration on the vehicle led police to a known woman who was able to positively identify the man in the surveillance video as Jake Thomas McAlexander, the complaint indicates.
McAlexander was then questioned at the Jefferson County Jail about the incident and reportedly admitted to taking the card out of a vehicle but was unable to recall anything more due to being “high on drugs” at the time, according to the complaint.
The charges were filed against McAlexander through Magisterial District Judge Gregory M. Bazylak’s office on April 20.
Forgery Incident
According to a criminal complaint, on March 29, Brookville Borough Police were contacted by DuBois City Police in relation to an investigation of theft from a vehicle in December of 2020.
According to the complaint, an investigation found that Jake McAlexander used a check that was stolen at the Clarion Federal Credit Union in Brookville Borough.
The complaint states DuBois City Police took a report of a theft from a motor vehicle on December 31, 2020, after a known female victim reported her vehicle had been broken into while it was parked at the CVS store in DuBois. Police found that there was damage to the vehicle from the lock being “defeated,” and the suspect took the victim’s checkbook and other items.
The victim told police that check number 4101 from her personal account through a local bank was stolen and then used without her permission.
According to the complaint, police found that the check in question, in the amount of $350.00, was deposited into an account at another local bank by Jake McAlexander.
Police then obtained a copy of the check deposited and still images of McAlexander filling out and depositing the stolen check between 8:51 a.m. and 9:02 a.m. on January 1, 2020.
The complaint notes the victim reported she never gave McAlexander permission to use the check.
According to the complaint, evidence collected from the second listed known local bank showed the victim’s account had been closed. Therefore, no money had been given to McAlexander.
The charges were filed against McAlexander through Magisterial District Judge Gregory M Bazylak’s office on April 6.
Common Pleas Case
McAlexander also has a case pending in the Jefferson County Court of Common Pleas on charges related to an incident where he allegedly stole a gift card from an area business.
RELATED:
Brookville Man Charged With Forging, Attempting to Use Stolen Check
Brookville Man Charged for Gift Card Theft from Area Business
https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/Report/MdjDocketSheet?docketNumber=MJ-54303-CR-0000079-2021&dnh=gtA%2Fk%2F%2F%2Fn8H7JYcRnK2LfQ%3D%3D
https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/Report/MdjDocketSheet?docketNumber=MJ-54303-CR-0000072-2021&dnh=4cHuzAruew0PwvdUE8AidQ%3D%3D
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