CLEARFIELD – A Curwensville man will stand trial on four felony offenses for stealing almost $9,000 worth of items including guns from a Pike Township residence.
Donald Foster Bradley, 50, was charged by state police with burglary, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and criminal trespass, all felonies, as well as misdemeanor criminal mischief in relation to an incident in Nov. 2023.
On Wednesday, he waived his right to a preliminary hearing sending his case onto the county court for further disposition. He is free on $25,000, unsecured bail.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, police began investigating the crime on Nov. 24, 2023 after the owner’s son reported it.
The perpetrator entered the home by cutting a window screen of a basement window and removing the windowpane. He also broke into the garage and stole a catalytic converter from a vehicle parked at the home.
The missing items included nine guns and a gun safe. The victim reported that even more guns may have been taken but he wasn’t sure since they were his father’s and he had no written record of his belongings.
A witness told police they saw a small red pickup at the residence that had the truck bed full of miscellaneous items.
Police issued a press release asking for help in finding the guns which led to Bradley being considered a suspect.
A witness reported that she had purchased firearms that matched the ones listed in the release. She also named other people who had allegedly purchased guns from Bradley.
It was noted that Bradley drove a small red pickup.
After being contacted by investigators, two people the witness named provided written statements saying they obtained the firearms from Bradley. They all returned the items to police.
A third person, Codie Fenchak, 30, of Johnsonburg, initially denied involvement with the incident but during an interview with police, he admitted to having a rifle he received from Bradley.
Fenchak then confessed and described how he and Bradley entered the property on two separate occasions. The first time Fenchak said he helped Bradley remove the gun safe which was taken to Fenchak’s home where Bradley used a grinder to open it. Bradley kept all the guns except for one recovered from Fenchak’s residence, he explained.
The second time they were on the property, they accessed the garage by lifting the garage door. They took a welder, cutting torch and acetylene/oxygen tanks, he said.
Fenchak also stated that Bradley was at the house at other times without him.
The additional items listed as taken from the home include tools, a tractor, air compressor, chain saw and a coin collection.
Fenchak who is facing the same charges, waived his right to a preliminary hearing on Aug. 7. His case is still pending. He is free after posting $20,000 bail.
