FROM BENSALEM TOWNSHIP POLICE DEPARTMENT

On Monday, April 29, 2024, at 5:00 pm, Bensalem Police responded to the Conoco Gas Station, 2700 Knights Road, for the report of a theft from a vehicle in the parking lot. Upon arrival, the victim told police that he had $190,000 in a box in the back seat of his 2017 Tesla and that someone had broken the window and stolen all of the cash while he was inside the business. The victim is the owner of a company that owns skill machines throughout the area, and he was at that gas station servicing one of those machines when the theft occurred.

On Tuesday, April 30, 2024, Bensalem Police obtained surveillance video of the theft and identified the suspect vehicle as a white Kia Optima with front-end damage. The actor was a white male, and a female passenger was in the vehicle during the theft. Utilizing surveillance cameras and Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR), Bensalem Police were able to identify the vehicle's owner. It was also found that a male by the name of Christopher Plytas, 43, was associated with the owners' address and was involved in a traffic accident in October 2023 in Bristol Township in the same white Kia Optima.

Bensalem Police obtained photographs of Christopher Plytas and identified him as the person who stole the $190,000 cash from the victim’s vehicle. District Justice Michael Gallagher approved an arrest warrant for Christopher Plytas.

Another search of the ALPR system led police to Glen Hollow Apartments in Croydon. Police went to that location and observed the same white Kia Optima parked in the parking lot. Undercover officers surveilled the location for over 4 hours until they observed Christopher Plytas returning to his apartment in building 8 of Glen Hollow Apartments. He was taken into custody without incident.

Bensalem Police executed a search warrant on the apartment and subsequently searched the white Kia Optima. Numerous items were seized from the car and apartment, including narcotics, paraphernalia, clothing, and US currency totaling approximately $40,000.

Bensalem Police continue to investigate this crime to determine if this was a targeted operation, identify any co-conspirators, and attempt to locate the additional money that was reported stolen.

Christopher Plytas was charged with Theft by Unlawful Taking, Theft from a Motor Vehicle, and related charges. He was arraigned by District Justice Kevin Wagner and remanded to the Bucks County Correctional Facility on 10% of 2,000,000 bail.