A break-in at an Exeter Township storage unit in April 2024 set off a far-reaching investigation that ultimately led to felony charges against three people, including the unit's owner.
Exeter Township police were called to investigate a break-in at EZ Self Storage, 5520 Perkiomen Ave. The victim told a responding officer that he had stored four rifles, body armor and tactical gear in a unit.
This would not be a simple burglary investigation, the officer determined. Detective Anthony Pendell responded.
According to the criminal complaint in the burglary case, the storage unit belonged to Oliver Becker, who told Pendell at the scene that he acquired the unit in December 2023 when he moved to Michigan.
Becker said he had to be careful with what he told the detective because he could get in trouble. As it turned out, he had reason to worry.
Becker, now 37, was sent to jail in 2011 after pleading guilty in Berks County Court to receiving stolen property in Douglass Township, according to court records. The conviction, a first-degree misdemeanor, prohibits him from possessing firearms.
Along with investigating the storage unit burglary, Pendell began investigating whether the victim was criminally liable for the weapons, said Lt. Sean Fullerton, public information officer for Exeter police.
Pendell followed two tracks in the related investigations, Fullerton said. On Sept. 5 -- about 1½ years after the burglary -- he filed felony charges against three individuals, including Becker.
The Exeter detective used a range of resources and law enforcement partners, including state police, Central Berks Regional police and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
"If through the course of an investigation we discover that other crimes were committed, then those will be addressed as well," Fullerton said.
Exeter police are especially vigilant when investigating crimes involving firearms because of the potential danger to the public, he said.
Despite his misgivings, Becker provided Pendell a detailed list of property stolen from his locker. Among the items were two AR-15-style rifles and two other long guns. There were also firearm parts, ammunition, electronics, surveillance equipment and survivalist gear. Becker said the guns were either purchased by his ex-girlfriend or registered in her name.
The area manager for EZ said he was notified of a potential break-in of Becker's unit by the owner of a neighboring unit. The owner noticed Becker's locker did not have a lock on it when he discovered an attempted break-in of his own unit.
The manager put on a new lock and notified Becker.
Pendell identified Michael C. Fink of Bernville as a probable suspect in the theft of the items.
According to the probable cause affidavit:
Fink was interviewed at the Exeter police station and admitted removing items from Becker's storage unit in March or April 2024. He said Amanda E. Waid told him that she had won the storage unit in an auction and needed help removing its contents.
Waid asked Fink for help because he drove a large work truck, Fink said.
Fink brought the items back to his residence at the time, a motel in eastern Lancaster County.
Fink, 37, now of Bernville, told Pendell that he is a longtime acquaintance of Becker's and was aware that Becker had been in the military. He denied knowing that Becker's belongings were in the storage unit he cleaned out.
Fink said he sold a ROKU TV and one of the AR-15 rifles. He said he gave the other AR-15 to the maintenance man at the motel where he lived.
The maintenance man, in turn, sold that rifle to another, unidentified tenant.
Pendell accessed Fink's cellphone records that, together with data from license plate readers, placed him in the vicinity of the self-storage business on April 19 and 25.
The detective also obtained a search warrant for Fink's Facebook account. He discovered a conversation on April 24 between Fink and a woman who was interested in buying one of the stolen AR-15 rifles. Fink sent her a photo of the gun before they settled on a price of $800.
In requesting an arrest warrant for Fink, Pendell wrote that Fink conspired with Waid, the woman he said solicited him for help in removing the guns and other items from the storage unit.
Fink and Waid were each charged with four counts of receiving stolen property and conspiracy.
Fink remained free to await a hearing following arraignment on Sept. 5 before District Judge Tonya A. Butler in Reading Central Court.
Waid, whose address is listed in court documents as Glasgow, Ky., remains at large.
Separately, Becker, now of Middletown, Dauphin County, faces felony counts from Exeter and Central Berks police.
Exeter police charged him with four counts of person not to possess a firearm.
Central Berks police charged him with four counts of conspiring to provide a materially false written statement for the purchase, delivery or transfer of a firearm. Those counts relate to information provided on federal documents when the guns were acquired from a licensed firearms dealer within that police department's jurisdiction.
Becker remained free to await a hearing following arraignment Monday on the Exeter charges. Court records indicate he was previously arraigned on the Central Berks charges, which were held for court at a preliminary hearing.