$2,951 in stolen savings bonds found in Chestnuthill
By Andrew Scott
Pocono Record Writer
A man and woman are charged after $2,951 in stolen U.S. savings bonds were found Wednesday in the man's vehicle, in connection with an August burglary in Chestnuthill Township.
Corey Bickhardt, 34, of Sciota, is charged with burglary, criminal trespassing, theft, receiving stolen property and criminal mischief. Denise Lorine Walker, 39, of Nazareth, is charged with receiving stolen property.
Bickhardt and Walker were arraigned on charges Friday and ordered placed in Monroe County Correctional Facility, Bickhardt in lieu of $100,000 bail and Walker in lieu of $10,000 bail. Both will be scheduled to appear in district court in the future.
Another woman, Denene Michelle Noel, 42, of Saylorsburg, was charged in September, pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property and was sentenced in January to four to 23 months in county jail followed by three years of probation, according to court records.
State police responded Aug. 3 to the Meadow Lake Road address of a resident who had returned from vacation to find his home burglarized and property taken.
The investigation led police to Noel and Bickhardt, whom police interviewed separately, an affidavit states.
Noel confessed to committing the burglary with Bickhardt and stealing jewelry, which was later pawned for $200 to $300, and a safe, but said she wasn't sure what was in the safe because Bickhardt had "control of it," the affidavit states. Bickhardt refused to say anything.
Police then charged Noel and Bickhardt. Refusing to testify against Bickhardt, against whom charges were then withdrawn, Noel later pleaded guilty and was sentenced.
Police on Wednesday encountered Bickhardt, Walker and another man outside of a vacant Warner Drive residence. Bickhardt said he had lived there prior to the home going into foreclosure and was now searching the dumpster for discarded property cleaned out from the residence, the affidavit states.
Bickhardt gave police consent to search his vehicle, in which Walker and the other man had accompanied him to the house. Police found 44 savings bonds, 24 of which had receipts issued to the burglarized resident, a relative and a third person, the affidavit states.
The man accompanying Bickhardt and Walker had not been charged as of Friday.
