$5M Bail Set For Cosmo DiNardo, Person of Interest in Missing Persons Case

Cosmo DiNardo, a person of interest in the case of four missing Bucks County men, is back in police custody, the Bucks County District Attorney’s office announced Wednesday afternoon. He has been arraigned on charges of stealing a car owned by one of the missing men.

BREAKING: Missing Man Found Dead In 12-Foot Grave In Solebury: DA

During an afternoon press conference, District Attorney Matt Weintraub said DiNardo, 20, stole a 1996 Nissan Maxima owned by Tom Meo. Weintraub said DiNardo attempted to sell the car, which was later found at a property owned by his family.

DiNardo's family owns the Solebury farm that is in its fourth day of being searched. His Bensalem home has been searched in connection with the investigation.

His bail has been set at $5 million cash.

DiNardo was taken into custody Monday on an unrelated weapons charge. He was released from jail after posting bail Tuesday. His bail had been set at 10 percent of $1 million.

Meanwhile, for the fourth day in a row, crews continued searching for four missing young men on the DiNardo family's 90-acre Solebury Township farm. Officials have said little about what they expect to find at the site, except they're holding out hope they'll find the men, ages 18 to 22, alive.

Some new revelations have come to light after a neighbor has gone public with her experience hearing gunshots in the area of the DiNardo farm off Rt. 202 late Saturday afternoon.

Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub has confirmed the resident's report is credible, he said in an email to Patch Wednesday morning.

In response to Solebury Township Police's initial announcement Sunday about police searching for the missing men at the property, Susan Cowen Coleman said she heard shotgun-firing sounds four separate times late Saturday afternoon. She said the shots began about 3:35 p.m. and there were three subsequent sets.

Cowen Coleman did not immediately return a message seeking comment, but in a follow-up interview with Philly Voice, she said it was "extremely disturbing" gunshot fire. "It was violent," she said. "This person was going bananas."

Missing are:

• Jimi Tar Patrick, 19, of Newtown Township, last seen Wednesday, July 5
• Mark Sturgis, 22, of Pennsburg last seen Friday night
• Tom Meo, 21, of Plumstead last seen Friday night and believed to have beenwith Sturgis
• Dean Finocchiaro, 18, of Langhorne, last seen Friday

Authorities, using heavy machinery and backup search crews, are searching the farm, which is situated in the midst of a bucolic landscape on Rt. 202 between New Hope and Doylestown.

"We have recovered several important pieces of evidence at this site" and "other locations," Weintraub said during a Wednesday morning press conference. He would not provide details about the evidence but did say "we are encouraged by it and we're going to keep going."

No human remains have been recovered "but we continue to work very, very hard on establishing all sorts of investigative leads and confirming those," Weintraub said Tuesday, adding that he is convinced the property is a crime scene because of "information that I know that I cannot share."

Weintraub has said he believes foul play is involved in the disappearance of the men, who all went missing between Wednesday and Friday of last week. Weintraub stressed no charges related to the missing men have been filed.

“We are treating this as a criminal investigation until we know differently,” the district attorney said.

Solebury police on Wednesday again warned residents to be mindful of a large police presence when traveling on Rt. 202 between Street and Aquetong roads and Expect delays in the area.

The flurry of police activity has alarmed residents of this normally quiet community, made up of sprawling farms, well-kept homes and a quaint shopping area.

The New York Times reports police were directed to the farm after the cellphone of one of the missing men, Finocchiaro, was tracked there on Saturday afternoon. Officials have not confirmed information about cellphone tracking, however.

Authorities are not fully certain they've determined the connection between all the men. Weintraub said investigators have information that indicates they in fact know each other, but they're still trying to determine the specifics.

Images from the scene show a backhoe was brought on to the Solebury property on Monday.

At least 40 police academy cadets from Montgomery County joined the search for evidence on Tuesday.

The investigation involves police departments from across Bucks County, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office, Pennsylvania State Police and the FBI.

Weintraub is urging the community to come forward with tips. Anyone who knows anything about the whereabouts of any of the men should call 215-297-82

RELATED:

• Cosmo DiNardo, Person Of Interest In Missing Persons Case, Released On Bail
• Man Linked To Properties Searched For Missing Men Arrested On Firearms Charge
• 4 Young Men Missing In Bucks County: Foul Play Believed To Be Involved, DA Says
• 2nd Teen Goes Missing In Bucks County

PHOTO: Cosmo DiNardo, Bucks DA