Suspects Charged In Quad County Burglary Ring

PITTSBURGH,None — Seven suspects were charged Friday in connection with a burglary ring that operated in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties.

VIDEO: Suspects Charged In Quad County Burglary Ring

The Allegheny County-based ring netted nearly $210,000 in at least 10 burglaries throughout the four counties from February to April 2010, said acting Attorney General Bill Ryan.

Ryan said local and state police began to see an upsurge in the number of daylight burglaries occurring in the northern and eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh in early 2010.

Police said they identified the ringleader as John Balicki, of Monroeville.

"The ring leader here is well-known to the Police Department in Monroeville," said Monroeville Police Chief Doug Cole. "We've dealt with him for many years."

Police said Balicki burglarized homes during the day when people were normally at work. Police identified others in the burglary ring as Matt Barth, Ty Brown, Kyle Smith and Kelly Kuzbicki.

According to the grand jury, the organization targeted bigger homes located in housing developments. Balicki and his associates allegedly drove throughout neighborhoods and cased homes trying to determine whether the home looked substantial enough to be burglarized, the grand jury said.

Ryan said Balicki and his associates wore brown shirts, brown pants, hats and gloves and pretended to be landscapers. Police said Balicki knocked on the front door of homes and if someone answered the door, offered landscaping services. If there was no answer, Balicki went to the back of the house and broke in while an associate acted as a lookout, police said.

"(They stole) mostly jewelry, obviously cash taken, handguns taken," Cole said.

Below is a list of the defendants and the charges against them.

--John Balicki, 29, of Monroeville, Pa, is charged with 25 counts of receiving stolen property, 22 counts of theft by unlawful taking or disposition, 14 counts of burglary, 7 counts of persons not to possess firearms, 2 counts of attempted burglary, 2 counts of attempted theft, 2 counts of attempted receiving stolen property, 1 count of corrupt organizations, 1 count of criminal conspiracy and 1 count of criminal use of a communication facility.

--Matthew Barth, 29, of West Finley, Pa, is charged with 12 counts of theft by unlawful taking or disposition, 12 counts of receiving stolen property, 9 counts of burglary, 3 counts of persons not to possess a firearm, 2 counts of attempted theft, 1 count of attempted burglary, one count of attempted receiving stolen property, one count of corrupt organizations, one count of criminal conspiracy, and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.

--Kelly Kuzbicki, 28, Beaver Falls, Pa, is charged with 5 counts of receiving stolen property, 2 counts of theft by unlawful taking or disposition, 1 count of criminal conspiracy, 1 count of burglary, and 1 count of criminal use of a communication facility.

--Kyle Smith, 25, Monroeville, Pa, is charged with 4 counts of receiving stolen property, 4 counts of persons not to possess firearms and 1 count of criminal use of a communication facility.

--Christopher Black, 20, Monroeville, Pa, is charged with 1 count of receiving stolen property, 1 count of persons not to possess firearms and 1 count of criminal use of a communication facility.

--Ty Brown, 33, of Connellsville, Pa, is charged with 2 counts of receiving stolen property and 1 count of criminal use of a communication facility.

--Michael Koebler, 25, of Monroeville,Pa, is charged with 1 count of receiving stolen property and 1 count of criminal use of a communication facility.

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