Murrysville police are sorting out how three South Carolina residents, including a self-described "computer geek," wound up with more than $22,000 worth of software in their car.
So far, police have charged Brandon T. Froehlich, 24; Brett M. Berkett, 22, and Molly M. Cate, 24, all of Clover, S.C., with multiple counts of retail theft and conspiracy.
Each was ordered on Monday to be held in the Westmoreland County jail after failing to raise $25,000 bond each set by Murrysville District Judge Charles Conway.
According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by Sgt. Robert Jones, police received a dispatch that a security guard from the Wal-Mart store at Greengate Centre Circle in Hempfield was following a white Oldsmobile carrying three suspects in a theft that occurred about 7 p.m. Sunday.
Jones subsequently pulled over the vehicle at Classic Auto along Old William Penn Highway in Murrysville. Froehlich was driving.
The store security guard spotted the trio concealing electronics at the store and then leaving the store without paying, Jones reported in the affidavit.
Murrysville "Patrolman Matthew Mastorovich and (Jones) in speaking with the occupants obtained consent to enter the vehicle and did locate and recover 110 individual boxes of Microsoft computer software valued at $22,061," Jones wrote.
The stolen merchandise was hidden inside boxes of inexpensive merchandise, according to the affidavit. The stolen software was in the back seat and the trunk, Jones said.
He said the trio had nothing in their possession "to purchase this quantity of merchandise."
Court documents indicate police are investigating whether some items may have been taken from more than one local Wal-Mart store.
Attempts to reach police officers yesterday for comment on the arrests were unsuccessful.
On Internet social networking pages, Froehlich describes himself as "passionate" about computing and technology issues.
Preliminary hearings for the three suspects have been scheduled for next Monday before Conway.
