Upper Providence Police (Credit: UPTPD)
James Brian Maguire, of the 300 block of Forrest Avenue, Norristown, was allegedly caught on surveillance.
A Norristown man accused of stealing more than $1,700 in tools and equipment, including traffic signal cabinet switches and devices, from a construction site in Upper Providence Township earlier this month had all charges dismissed at a preliminary hearing Tuesday.
James Brian Maguire, 58, of the 300 block of Forrest Avenue, was charged Jan. 15 by Pennsylvania State Police at Skippack with felony counts of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property, as well as misdemeanor defiant trespassing, according to charging documents.
On Jan. 15, at 7:26 a.m., troopers were dispatched to Route 422 near mile marker 185 in the township for a theft report, police said. Upon arrival, police met with the 34-year-old victim from Pottstown who said he noticed equipment was missing from his work vehicle when he arrived on site at 5:40 a.m., per the affidavit.
The victim reviewed security camera footage at the site, which showed two men removing miscellaneous wire and a red and black toolbox, with a white sticker on top, from the bed of a construction truck at 2:30 a.m., police said.
Police said stolen items included the following:
One of the thieves was wearing a black hoodie that covered his face, blue jeans and brown boots, police said. The second thief was wearing a gray hoodie with a red label on the lower left side, blue jeans, and black boots, police said.
The victim told police the toolbox had “thousands of dollars” worth of tools, per the complaint.
Through security footage, investigators were able to view the license plate of a suspect vehicle, police said, which was a 2011 Subaru Forester.
Police traced the Subaru at the scene to its registered owner, James Edwin Maguire, according to the complaint. However, this Maguire, born in 1942, had died, police said.
When troopers visited the home of the registered owner, they found an abandoned car on the property, registered to a James Maguire Jr., born in 1984, but he too was deceased, police said.
Thus, troopers focused their search on the stolen wire. Investigators visited local scrap yards located near the Maguires’ residence, police said. One scrap yard told authorities that one of the deceased Maguires used to sell scrap back in October 2024, but has not been back since.
A second scrapyard searched its system for a “Maguire Jr.,” and found nothing. However, a search of “Maguire” pinged the defendant, who is the father of Maguire Jr. and the son of the elder Maguire, authorities said.
Using Maguire’s license photo, investigators matched his image to one of the thieves in the surveillance footage. Troopers found that the defendant also drove a red Hyundai Elantra belonging to a Norristown woman, per the affidavit.
Troopers visited the woman’s home, where they were met by a man, who claimed he and Maguire were associates, according to the affidavit. The associate confirmed the Maguire address, and authorities returned to the house.
Upon arrival, police found a green Subaru Forester in the driveway, according to the complaint. Authorities said Maguire was in the yard, wearing the same gray hoodie from the surveillance footage.
Troopers approached Maguire, and he was placed under arrest for theft, police said.
Maguire then asked to say goodbye to his mother inside the house and to use the restroom, police said.
Police said Maguire gave verbal consent to escort him into the house. As they walked Maguire to the bathroom, a black and red Milwaukee-brand pack out tookbox, with a white sticker on top, was seen in the house, police said.
The toolbox was retrieved as evidence and brought back to Skippack barracks where the victim was contacted to sign for and retrieve his property, police said.
Maguire had been free on $25,000 unsecured bail.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
