Man pleads guilty in 3-county robbery spree

Police and district attorneys in Chester, Montgomery and Berks counties worked together on case

A man pleaded guilty to his three-county robbery spree that lasted less than a month before he was caught by police.

Elwood Gladney, 59, of Pottstown, accepted a guilty plea on March 31 for his alleged role in 24 commercial burglaries, investigators announced on Thursday. West Vincent police said the burglaries mainly occurred along the Route 100 corridor and were committed in Chester, Berks and Montgomery counties between Nov. 25, 2015 and Dec. 16, 2015.

He was sentenced to seven to 14 years in prison by Chester County Court of Common Pleas Judge Jaquelin Cody. Chester County Assistant District Attorneys Ryan Borchik and Chris Miller prosecuted the criminal case against Gladney.

West Vincent police said Gladney’s alleged burglary spree ended on the early morning hours in December 2015 when police received a call for a suspicious condition of a broken glass door at the Ludwig’s Corner Veterinary Hospital at 915 North Pottstown Pike in West Vincent Township.

Upon arrival, Officer Patrick Butler observed, in addition to the broken glass door, money that had been dropped in the parking lot. Police said a review of video surveillance from the Veterinary Hospital showed that on Dec. 15, 2015 at 10:32 p.m. an older white male with dark rimmed glasses, a green Philadelphia Eagles hat, a silver and black jacket and flashlight approached the doorway.

Police released the following information:

He looked around and smashed a spotlight with a hammer. The individual then reportedly smashed out glass in the door and entered into the veterinarian hospital. He proceeded to a counter where he used the flashlight to find and remove cash from a drawer. He then exited the building and drove away in a dark colored vehicle.

Uwchlan Police Officer James Hall stopped a dark-colored Volvo station wagon for a traffic violation on Pottstown Pike, a few miles south of the veterinary hospital, at 10:50 p.m. on Dec. 15, 2015. The driver, who police identified as Gladney, wore clothing matching the description of the robber. He even still had on his Eagles hat, according to police. Gladney’s vehicle was uninsured and impounded by police, they

said. Police said the burglary, just minutes earlier, was unbeknownst to them at the time, and Gladney was released.

He didn’t get away with it for long.

Amity Township Police Detective Jeffrey Smith arrested Gladney the next day for a burglary that occurred one week earlier in Amity Township, according to West Vincent police, who were notified by Smith. Smith notified Butler that Gladney matched the description of the suspect in the Ludwig’s Corner Veterinary Hospital burglary, and when he was taken into custody he was still wearing dark-colored glasses, an Eagles hat and a black and silver jacket. Gladney was remanded to Berks County prison.

Chester County Detective Gary Lynch, Upper Uwchlan Township Police Detective Tom Jones and Butler served a search warrant on Gladney’s impounded Volvo Dec. 22, 2015. Police said a hammer, work gloves and a yellow flashlight were reportedly discovered inside the car.

New Hanover Township police Sgt. William Moyer and Butler interviewed Gladney later that day at the Berks County prison about the multiple burglaries. During the interview, Gladney reportedly confessed to committing 19 burglaries, but was unsure of five others, according to investigators. During a drive around in February

2016, police said Gladney reportedly confirmed he did commit those five burglaries too. Police said he told them he reportedly committed burglaries as a way to relieve stress. Gladney allegedly caused more than $16,000 in damages to the businesses he burglarized, according to investigators.

Butler filed in March 2016 the following charges in a criminal complaint against Gladney: 24 felony counts of burglary; 11 misdemeanor counts of criminal attempt; 35 misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief; 24 felony counts of criminal trespass; 13 misdemeanor counts of theft by unlawful taking; and 24 misdemeanor counts of possessing an instrument of crime.

West Vincent Police Chief Michael Swininger said the arrest of Gladney resulted after an extensive investigation involving “outstanding police work and cooperation” between the District Attorney’s offices from Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties, Pennsylvania State Police in Embreeville, Skippack and Reading, and the following police departments: Amity; Lower Pottsgrove; Uwchlan; Upper Uwchlan; Exeter; East Coventry; East Pikeland; Limerick; Lower Salford; New Hanover; and West Vincent.