A York man pleaded guilty on October 20 to seven dockets regarding a string of power tool thefts across Lancaster County in 2020.

Quentin Burgess, 23 of the 1300 of Bonbar Road, pleaded guilty to:

- Nine felony counts of unlawful taking

- Six felony counts of conspiracy to receive stolen property

- One misdemeanor counts of theft from a motor vehicle

- One misdemeanor counts of unlawful taking

- Two misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief

- Four summary counts of simple trespassing

Burgess was sentenced to 1 to 5 years in prison and ordered to pay $83,467.66 in restitution by Lancaster County Judge Jeffrey Conrad.

Burgess and two co-defendants, Jesse Axe and Bernard Axe, were charged with their involvement in a multijurisdictional tool theft and resale operation that spanned from approximately April to December of 2020.

Burgess conspired to locate unmonitored construction sites, storage trailers, and work trucks to steal brand-name tools such as batteries, caulking guns, grinders, bandsaws, and rotary drills. The tools would then be cleaned, stored in a rented shed, and sold online.

The thefts took place at locations in Mountville, Pequea Township, Mount Joy, East Drumore Township, Manheim Township, Manor Township, and West Lampeter Township.

Police were able to link Burgess to the case through undercover purchases of the tools through Facebook Marketplace, a fingerprint match on one of the tools, and text messages.

The two co-defendants have pending cases and are presumed innocent.

East Hempfield Township Police Detective David Bender, West Lampeter Township Police Department Corporal Philip Strosser, Manor Township Police Officer Colleen Tatara, Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Scott Enedy, Manheim Township Police Detective Anthony Lombardo, Mount Joy Borough Police Officer Christine Keiffer, Pequea Township Police Corporal Robert Burger, and West Hempfield Township Police Officer Robert Bradfield filed charges in their respective jurisdictions.

Assistant District Attorney Jessica Collo prosecuted the case.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sean McBryan, semcbryan@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @SeanMcBryanLanc.