A Hellertown man is facing numerous charges after police say he was arrested for allegedly burglarzing Yeager’s Pharmacy, 654 Main St., on June 23, 2016.
Richard Aaron York III in a public profile photo shared on his Facebook page
Richard Aaron York III, 23, of the 700 block of Front Street, was arraigned Tuesday on charges of burglary (first-degree felony), criminal trespassing (second-degree felony), theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, criminal mischief, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to a police department news release and court records, which indicate he was released on $5,000 unsecured bail by District Judge Elizabeth A. Romig-Gainer.
At the time of the early morning burglary, police said several controlled substances were stolen from the pharmacy, which is located a stone’s throw from the borough police station. Several witnesses indicated that the store’s glass front window had been smashed.
Police said at the time that surveillance footage of the suspect in the burglary existed, but that it was of too poor a quality to release to the media.
They described the suspect as a white male, approximately 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall, who was wearing a dark hoodie, dark pants or jeans, and a grey backpack at the time of the break-in.
A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for Feb. 22 at 9:15 a.m. at the District Court, 1404 Walter St., Bethlehem, before Romig-Gainer.
According to county court records York has a criminal record that includes guilty pleas for disorderly conduct (December 2016, Bethlehem); and terroristic threats and simple assault (January 2013, Hellertown); and possession of a controlled substance (February 2012, Lower Saucon Township).
In the second aforementioned case, York was sentenced by Judge Leonard Zito to 1 to 2 months in jail followed by 12 months of probation, and was immediately released after being given credit for time served, according to court records. He was later resentenced by Zito–in November 2013–to serve 12 to 24 months in prison for violating conditions of his probation, which included random periodic drug screenings, the records indicate. Zito also ruled York would be eligible for release after nine months under Pennsylvania’s Recidivism Risk Reduction Incentive (RRRI) program.
