Men Sentenced For Burglarizing Lower Southampton Businesses

Two men were sentenced this week to state prison for more than 20 commercial burglaries across Lower Bucks County, the Bucks County District Attorney’s office announced.

Robert Runner, 32, of Croydon was sentenced to serve 5 to 12 years for committing 27 burglaries or attempted burglaries. He will also be on probation for another eight years following his jail sentence.

John Bruno III, 33, of Philadelphia was sentenced to serve 2½ to 6 years of incarceration, followed by 14 years of probation, for 22 burglaries or attempted burglaries.

Runner and Bruno have also been ordered to pay restitution.

Runner and Bruno committed most of the burglaries together between April 15 and July 3 of 2015, authorities said. The burglaries occurred in six municipalities – Bensalem, Bristol, Falls, Lower Southampton, Northampton and Upper Southampton Townships, the District Attorney’s office said.

Targeted businesses included hair and nail salons, restaurants, pizzerias, delis, convenience stores, a bowling alley, a guitar repair shop and a tobacco products shop.

“Typically they would strike at night when the businesses were closed, cutting phone and surveillance camera lines before forcing rear doors,” the District Attorney’s office said in a statement.

“This burglary spree was solved due to the collaborative investigative work of detectives from six different Bucks County municipalities,” said Deputy District Attorney Marc J. Furber, who prosecuted the case. “Their tireless efforts were directly responsible for bringing the defendants to justice. The sentences imposed today ensure that the defendants will spend years of their life behind bars in state prison.”