"In all 13 convenience stores were victimized in that 10-week period. Three of those stores were victimized more than once," said Delaware County District Attorney Michael Green.
Investigators say Vincent Buce and John Lord of Philadelphia are the two men seen smashing a glass window and attempting to steal cigarettes at a store in Brookhaven. Action News was the first to broadcast the surveillance video of that break-in. Detectives say the defendants found it amusing.
"They were watching video from channel 6 laughing about how good they looked, saying 'That's you. That's me. That's you,'" said Brookhaven Police Detective Randy McGoldrick.
Investigators say the group sold the stolen cigarettes on the black market on the streets of Philadelphia. They don't have an exact value but they say it raked in thousands of dollars, and the face value of the stolen merchandise could reach $100,000.
"In doing the interviews with all four, they admitted they had drug problems," said McGoldrick.
Police say Buce, Lord, Lacey Boesenhoff, and Craig McIntosh started to get lazy, hitting stores more than once. Then in January detectives got their break. Tinicum Police were staking out a Valero gas station on Governor Printz Boulevard when the group allegedly tried to rob it for a third time.
But this time Tinicum Police Officer Joe Marino and his partners were watching.
"Brought a good cigar that night because there'd been a few night of just sitting and waiting. I happened to get lucky that night and there they were," Marino told Action News.
