Hundreds of charges filed as more victims identified
Delaware State Police this week made one additional arrest and filed hundreds of additional charges against the suspects in an extensive theft ring that was operating in the Ocean View and Bethany Beach area in recent months.
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Delcoglin.
Troop 4 detectives arrested Phillip Delcoglin, 19, of Newark, last Thursday, Aug. 14, and filed more than 280 charges related to the case against Delcoglin and suspects Shaun M. Snow, 21, of Georgetown and Joseph A. Marshall, 20, of Millsboro, both of whom had previously been arrested in conjunction with charges filed in Ocean View.
The work of the theft ring allegedly included thefts of vehicles and ATV’s, thefts from cars, and burglaries to garages and sheds. State police said they have linked the crew to crimes committed between May 21 and July 31 throughout the Ocean View and Bethany Beach area, along with some in the developments of Sandy Brae in Lewes and South Shores in Lincoln.
Police this week identified Snow as the primary suspect in the theft on July 30 of an ATV from a residence on Muddy Neck Road in which Snow allegedly left behind a Buick Park Avenue as collateral for a “test drive” of the for-sale four-wheeler before disappearing with the ATV. In investigating the ATV theft, police discovered the Park Avenue had been reported stolen July 29.
They said Marshall was subsequently arrested after allegedly following and tail-gating a tow-truck driver who was towing the Park Avenue to the Troop 4 impound lot as evidence. The tow-truck driver called 911 to report the other driver, and troopers stopped him.
In the trunk of the car Marshall was driving, troopers said, they located the multi-colored helmet, gloves and goggles that Snow had driven off wearing when he took the ATV, as well as the ATV’s key.
Stolen items found in Ocean View hideout
Police took Marshall into custody and a search warrant was executed the following day on his seasonal residence, located in Cedar Bay Condominiums in Ocean View, which Snow and Delcoglin also frequented, and on vehicles belonging to him. During the search of the residence, Snow was located hiding in a closet, and Delcoglin, a roommate of Marshall’s, was also implicated in some of the crimes.
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Marshall.
During the search, more than 100 various items were seized that appeared to be stolen, police said. Property recovered included numerous iPods and digital cameras, as well as theft victims’ identification and credit cards. Detectives also recovered two handguns that had been reported stolen — a Glock .40 caliber and 9mm Beretta — and have now returned them to their owners.
In addition to the smaller items, police said, the three suspects also stole five vehicles — a 2007 Honda Pilot, a 2001 Volkswagen Cabriolet, a 2005 Ford F-150 pickup, a 1997 Ford F-150 pickup and the 1999 Buick Park Avenue — as well as a Yamaha golf cart and the ATV.
Those vehicles were all recovered, but two of the vehicles were totaled. The Volkswagen Cabriolet was found torched on July 28 in the area of Pencader in New Castle City. Investigators said Snow had been involved in a vehicle pursuit with New Jersey State Police on that date, with that pursuit terminated as the car crossed the Delaware Memorial Bridge.
During their search at the Cedar Bay apartment, detectives located two laptop computers that were reported stolen from New Jersey and that are believed to be related to the New Jersey police pursuit. Detectives said they are working with New Jersey authorities on that case.
The 2007 Honda Pilot was located abandoned with severe damage, apparently from a crash alongside Route 1 just north of Bethany Beach on July 21.
Detectives said they also recovered from the Cedar Bay residence a stolen badge and retirement credentials of a retired Delaware state trooper in the condo.
Ocean View Police Chief Ken McLaughlin said this week that state police interest in the local thefts had been piqued by the possibility that the suspects, who had used stolen credit cards to place orders for police equipment, might have been connected to a June 30 incident in which a man impersonating a police officer pulled over and robbed a female motorist on Route 1 near Dewey Beach. He said detectives do not believe now that the two cases are connected.
Those police supply purchases included cap stun (pepper spray), a holster, fatigues, lock-picking sets, bolt cutters and utility belts.
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Snow.
Snow has been charged by the state with 134 criminal offenses and was committed to Sussex Correctional Institute in lieu of a $67,608 secured bond. Marshall was charged with 135 criminal offenses and committed to Sussex Correctional Institute in lieu of a $69,508 secured bond. Delcoglin was charged with 20 offenses and issued a $19,100 secured bond. He was released after posting bond.
All of the state charges are related to burglary, theft, conspiracy and identity theft. Marshall and Snow had previously been charged in Ocean View with 56 counts each involving charges of trespassing, burglary, theft and illegal use of credit cards.
Police still looking for potential victims
Delaware State Police are asking for anyone who believes they were victimized by these suspects and who have not already recovered their property to contact investigators at (302) 856-5850, ext. 209, and schedule an appointment so investigators can ensure they are there to assist.
The case remained under investigation this week as detectives explored whether the suspects are responsible for additional crimes that are unsolved or may even have gone unreported.
One potential victim of the thefts told the Coastal Point on Wednesday that he had not even reported the July theft of bicycles from his property near Ocean View. (Two stolen bicycles were abandoned at the home of the owner of the Cabriolet at the time of that theft.) He said a neighbor had also had bicycles stolen from his property about the same time and had also not reported the theft. He said he planned to report the theft of his property this week, after having learned about the theft ring and the related arrests.
DSP detectives this week noted that the majority of the cases involving theft from vehicles had involved the victims leaving their cars unlocked. The DSP is again encouraging all drivers to lock their cars at all times when they are not in use, to prevent incidents such as these.