Ambler Borough Detective Sergeant Chad Cassel and the Ambler Borough Police Department played an integral role in identifying suspects “Reddick and Brand” of the CVS “Trash Bag Crew” who have been committing numerous thefts at CVS locations in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. Reddick and Brand have charges from numerous jurisdictions and are currently housed in Monroe County Prison.
Defendants Jalahni Reddick ,20 years of age, of 900 block of Gates Ave. Brooklyn New York and Larry D. Brand, 25 years of age, Unit block of Halsey St. Brooklyn, New York were transported from the Monroe County Correctional Facility, where they are currently housed, to have a preliminary hearing in front of Judge Zaffarano this morning.
Both defendants waived their hearings today and in return the Commonwealth dropped two charges of RSP( Receiving Stolen Property) and Conspiracy to RSP.
However, the charges of Retail Theft and Conspiracy to Retail Theft, both Felony F3 charges, were sent to county court. Reddick and Brand’s bail remains the same, at $50,000 cash. Both were released to Whitemarsh Township Police Department for similar crimes in that jurisdiction.
On Friday October 5, 2018, the Ambler Borough Police Department responded to the CVS Pharmacy at 272 East Butler Pike for a retail theft where it was reported that two male suspects pulled black trash bags from their waist-band area and filled them up with multiple boxes of over the counter (OTC) allergy medication such as, Prilosec OTC, Nexium, Claritin, and multiple boxes of Rogaine. The total loss of product came to $2,323.31 dollars. The suspects then entered a small grey SUV possibly a Mazda, and fled from the CVS on Woodland Avenue towards Bethlehem Pike.
According to the police report, several other area departments with CVS Pharmacies, including Horsham Township and Whitemarsh Township, had similar thefts involving the same two suspects on the same day.
The suspects “Reddick and Brand” were referred to as the “Trash Bag Crew” since it was their modus operandi “MO” to use trash bags to take the stolen merchandise out of the store.
The “Trash Bag Crew” struck another CVS on November 9, 2018 in East Stroudsburg, PA, but this time Reddick and Brand were caught, taken into custody and identified.
Ambler Borough’s Detective Sergeant Chad Cassel was then able to positively identify them as the suspects in his department’s CVS Retail Theft from October 5th.