Man selling energy services in East Goshen taken into custody
Hakeem J. Lemar faces theft charges in Chester County, Westtown-East Goshen Township Regional Police said.
A 22-year-old Philadelphia man soliciting energy service in East Goshen Township is in custody, accused of stealing a resident’s wallet, said Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police.
Police said they responded to an apartment in the unit block of Mary Fran Drive on Jan. 7, at 6:04 p.m., after a resident reported that his wallet was missing from the living room after a solicitor stopped at his residence and offered to sell him better electric energy. The victim told police that he allowed the solicitor into his residence and went to a bedroom to retrieve an old PECO bill for the solicitor to review, police said.
When the solicitor left the apartment, the victim immediately realized the wallet was missing and called police, who canvassed the area, police said. Officers located two men in the area of the apartment complex with documents related to Washington Gas Energy Services, police said.
Police said they determined that Hakeem J. Lemar was the person who had visited the victim’s home. Lemar denied taking the wallet and a search showed that Lemar was not in possession of it, police said. However, police said they determined that Lemar was wanted by the Abington Police Department for forgery and theft charges, and he was arrested and transported to the station.
Detectives were able to canvass the area around the victim’s residence and located the stolen wallet, minus the $203 in U.S. currency it had contained, police said, adding that Lemar had $203 in his possession. Police said the men worked for an agency hired by Washington to do door-to-door soliciting; however, they did not have a permit to canvass in East Goshen Township, and citations will be issued for the ordinance violation.
Westtown-East Goshen Police said they filed a detainer so that Lemar will be returned to Chester County after he is processed on his Montgomery County charges. An investigation is continuing to determine if there are additional victims, police said. Anyone with information should call 610-692-9600, police said.
