An Allentown man is accused of stealing about $90,000 worth of merchandise from a storage facility in South Whitehall Township, according to authorities.
Anthony Rivera, 38, was arraigned last month on charges alleging he stole from the units and tried to sell some of the stolen items at Quakertown Farmers Market in Richland Township, South Whitehall Township police said in a news release.
Rivera is charged with felonies of burglary, receiving stolen property and trespassing, as well as misdemeanor offenses of theft.
Police discovered in June that there were multiple thefts from the Public Storage at 1925 Route 309. Investigators found that locks and interior walls had been damaged so two units could be accessed, according to the news release. About $15,000 worth of items were taken in June, the department said.
Another theft was reported in mid-August. In that theft, an inside wall was damaged so a unit could be accessed, and authorities said a substantial amount of property, including a vintage motorcycle, custom bicycles, tools, electronics, collectibles, clothes, furniture, and music equipment, had been stolen.
Investigators found that some of the stolen property, about 1,000 items, were being sold at a vendor associated with Rivera at the Quakertown Farmers Market, police said. Additionally, a vehicle associated with Rivera was connected to activity at the storage facility at the time of the thefts, the release states.
South Whitehall police searched Rivera’s home in late August and found a large amount of suspected stolen property, including a 1972 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and property linked to each of the three storage units that were affected, the department said. Police estimated the items were worth a total of $90,000.
Rivera is free on $20,000 bail.