Columbia Package Thieves Sentenced To Jail

COLUMBIA, MD — Two men who stole 75 packages from Columbia residences last year will the holidays this season in jail. A judge in Howard County ordered one man to four months in jail and another to five months.

Amjad Jaouni, 29, of the 1600 block of West Lombard Street in Baltimore, and Ernest Ohanyan, 26, of the 2900 block of Marnat Road in Baltimore, admitted to taking the items in December 2016. Both pleaded guilty to a theft scheme from $1,000 to $10,000.

The pair admitted to taking packages from 50 different residences in Columbia, mostly targeting cul-de-sacs on Tamar Drive in Long Reach.

An observant citizen in the area of Greystone Lane called 911 to report that a suspicious box truck was going around picking up packages around the neighborhood, police said at the time.

In less than a minute, a community resource officer was at the scene, and two other officers arrived soon after. Police said they located and stopped the truck, which had 77 packages inside. Authorities recovered the stolen goods on Dec. 8, 2016, officials said.

• 'Porch Pirates' Busted with 77 Packages: Howard County Police
• Police Double as Santas in Columbia: 77 Packages Returned to Victims of Porch Pirates

According to the Howard County state's attorney's office, the thieves were remorseful for their actions.

Their defense attorney said they should not serve jail time because "no one lost anything," according to a report from the state's attorney following the Dec. 14 sentencing hearing.

Police returned all the packages to their rightful owners following the box truck bust.

Assistant State’s Attorney Susan Weinstein characterized the crime as one "driven by pure greed and nothing else," according to a statement from the state's attorney.

"It would be appropriate that both Mr. Jaouni and Mr. Ohanyan spend this holiday season in jail," Weinstein said.

Howard County Circuit Court Judge Richard S. Bernhardt sentenced Jaouni to four months in jail, also issuing a work release order.

Ohanyan was ordered to serve five months in jail and two years of supervised probation, according to the state's attorney.

Package Protection Tips From Howard County Police

Residents can take steps to protect their packages from so-called package pirates. Here are some tips from the Howard County Police Department:

• Track shipments. Try to be home when packages are scheduled to arrive or have them delivered to work.
• Ask a neighbor to pick up your package until you arrive home.
• Report suspicious behavior, persons and vehicles immediately to 911. If a vehicle is involved, try to note the make, model, tag number and direction of travel.

Photo of recovered packages courtesy of the Howard County Police Department.