Two Ocean County Residents Charged With Burglary And Thefts In Lacey And Waretown

Lacey and Waretown police have charged two Waretown residents with the burglary and theft of a Tampa Road home in Forked River Beach on the evening of May 24.

Lawrence W. Mann, 31, 49 Willow Street, Waretown, and Shiabon Poff, 36, same address, were both arrested at the Willow Street residence after a search warrant was conducted on Saturday morning, Lacey Police Chief David A. Paprota said.

Lacey Detective Brian Flynn, in a cooperative investigation with Detective Sgt. Rogalski and Detective Risden of the Ocean Township Police Department, recovered evidence that led to their arrests for burglaries in both townships, the chief said.

The Tampa Road homeowner told police he thought someone entered his home through an unlocked rear window that led into his living room. The items stolen included a Spanish provincial sterling silver flatware set valued at $2,000, two laptop computers, and jewelry, Paprota said.

The investigation revealed that the flatware set was sold on Craig's List to a man from Toms River, who subsequently listed the set on eBay. Mann and Poff drove a blue, Ford F150, stepside pickup truck during the different burglaries in each town, the chief said.

Both Mann and Poff were arrested for the burglary and theft charges out of Lacey Township as well as similar offenses committed in Waretown, Paprota said.

Mann was taken to the Ocean County Jail in Toms River on $20,000 bail on the Lacey charges.

Officers from both departments worked cooperatively to quickly solve the cases, Paprota said.

"Timely arrests, such as in this case, have been a major contributing factor in the drastic reduction of home burglaries being committed in Lacey Township to the lowest levels in over 30 years," the chief said. "Excellent commitment and work by all involved."