Attorney General Michelle Henry has announced charges against four individuals involved in a series of "smash and grab"-style thefts targeting vehicles across several counties in western Pennsylvania. The alleged crimes were followed by unauthorized access to the victims' bank accounts.
The accused, Amed Henderson, Shaquan Moore, Theresa Imel, and Elizabeth Madden, are charged with conspiracy to commit thefts in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Erie, Lawrence, Washington, and Westmoreland counties. They reportedly stole credit cards, bank cards, checks, and identification cards to withdraw funds from the victims' accounts. Charges include corrupt organizations, conspiracy, identity theft, forgery, among others.
“These invasive, random crimes cause financial stress and strip the victims and their communities of a sense of security,” Attorney General Henry stated. She further explained that the defendants allegedly broke into vehicles by smashing windows to steal personal items before accessing bank accounts.
Investigations conducted by multiple police departments led to the suspects through car rental records and surveillance footage. Henderson and Moore are specifically accused of using rented cars with stolen license plates to locate potential targets at public parks and other short-term parking areas.
Following these break-ins, it is alleged that members of the group accessed bank accounts belonging to 68 victims across 19 different police jurisdictions.
Henderson faces charges including corrupt organization involvement and dealing in proceeds from unlawful activities. Moore is charged similarly but also faces counts related to identity theft. Imel is charged with corrupt organization involvement and identity theft while Madden faces similar charges.
Senior Deputy Attorney General Alexander Cashman is prosecuting this case. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.