Cops: Man charged with Greensburg burglary is suspect in 20 others
Share this post:
Greensburg Police canvassed pawn shops and precious metal stores between Unity and Monroeville, leading to the arrest Monday of a 30-year-old man who may be responsible for 20 daylight burglaries since last fall, according to court records.
James E. Dickant Jr. of Greensburg was arrested at the Rodeway Inn in Hempfield Monday on multiple charges of forgery, possessing instruments of crime, theft, theft by deception, receiving stolen property and possession of drug paraphernalia.
He was arraigned before District Judge Chris Flanigan, who ordered him held in the county prison without bond, saying in court documents that he is “a danger to the community.”
According to court records filed by Greensburg police, Dickant is believed to have targeted residential homes in the vicinity of Clopper Street and College Avenue near Seton Hill University since October.
Greensburg Officer William Newmyer said in court documents that many of the burglaries were similar to a Jan. 6 break-in at the home of a woman in the 200 block of Clopper Street, who had four rings—including one with an Oxford University symbol and another gold ring with a diamond that was described as a “family heirloom”— stolen after the suspect broke through a ground floor window. It is the only burglary Dickant is charged with committing as of Tuesday.
Newmyer wrote that the break-ins happened after the residents left for work about 8 a.m. When they returned home, they usually discovered their homes were entered through a broken window or basement door.
Their homes would appear ransacked and cash, jewelry and electronics would usually be missing, according to court records.
Newmyer said he was able to trace the Oxford ring to Precious Metals Resources Inc., which also operates as the Atlantic Gold Exchange in Monroeville. The ring was sold there on Jan. 29.
Store officials told police several jewelry items were purchased from a Charleroi man with Greensburg connections that day, including the Oxford ring for $261.
On Sunday, Newmyer said he interviewed the seller, who said he received the jewelry from Dickant “in exchange for heroin.”
“A search for Dickant on the precious metals website resulted in 19 transactions where he sold women’s jewelry. Those items dated back to 2018,” Newmyer disclosed in court records.
Newmyer also obtained several transactions for jewelry sales made by Dickant at The Gold Buyers of Pittsburgh at their Unity location, where he was paid $443.
While Dickant has been living at an apartment on Fox Hill Street, near Lynch Field, Newmyer reported in court records that he received a tip that he was staying at the Rodeway Inn, where he was arrested. Newmyer said police confiscated four counterfeit $20 bills, “a pile of unusual coins,” several empty stamp bags, hypodermic needles and a crack pipe from his room.