2nd man sentenced for burglarizing Upper Providence plumbing business in 2024

A second man from Philadelphia who admitted to breaking into a fenced parking lot of an Upper Providence plumbing supply company in Fall 2024 and stealing more than $15,000 in supplies, has been sentenced to time in Montgomery County jail.

Hayden Edward Griffin, 23, of the 4700 block of E Thomspon St., was sentenced to six to 23 months, plus two years of probation, Thursday, after pleading guilty last month to felony charges of theft and burglary in connection with the Nov. 10, 2024 incident, according to court documents. Griffin was free on 10% of $10,000 cash bail.

Additional felony charges of theft, conspiracy to commit theft, burglary, receiving stolen property, conspiracy to receive stolen property, conspiracy to commit burglary, criminal trespassing, and conspiracy to criminal trespass were all dismissed at the pre-trial hearing, per court records.

Griffin’s accomplice, Michael Anthony Ruth, 30, of the 3400 block of Salmon Street, Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to the same charges and received three years of probation.

Misdemeanor drug possession offenses were withdrawn against both men at their preliminary hearings.

On Nov. 10, 2024, at 11 p.m., Upper Providence Township Police responded to Ferguson Enterprises at 1116 Longford Road, in the Oaks section of the township, for a report from a security guard of a suspicious SUV, according to the affidavit. Authorities said the security guard was contracted due to a significant theft that occurred one week prior at the business.

Police said a white 2019 Hyundai SUV drove onto the grass on the side of the property, and upon police arrival, it was found parked in the lot next door, with tire marks in the grass leading to the parking lot. Furthermore, a vertical three-foot-long cut was made in a fence, police said.

As police approached the SUV, the driver began driving away toward Green Tree Road without any lights on, per the affidavit. Officers immediately began to track the SUV in the area of Egypt Road and Route 422, and found it on Longford and Blackrock roads, police said.

Ruth was driving the SUV, and told police he was coming from Reynold’s Dog Park. When he was told his SUV was seen in the parking lot, Ruth said he was there, but also at the dog park, and he was with his friend “Hayden,” but lost him in the woods.

Ruth told police they were taking a walk in the woods and then turned over a suspended driver’s license, authorities said. Police noticed Ruth’s seats were covered in black plastic trash bags, and when asked why, he told police that they were in the woods all day and were soaking wet, according to the complaint.

Officers responded back to the business in question to search for suspects. Police found boxes outside a fence, as well as a man in dark clothes walking away from officers, per the complaint. The man was commanded to stop, but he ran toward Longford Road, and into the woods, police said. A bag with bolt cutters was found at the scene, police said.

Police believed the suspect, identified as Griffin, had laid down to avoid detection. Police called for a K9 to track Griffin but then heard branches breaking in the woods by the fence line, police said.

Police saw Griffin running away but he stopped upon being told he would be tased by Lower Providence Police, according to the report.

Griffin was told to lie face down, but he refused, police said. He was eventually placed on his stomach and he told police that he did nothing wrong and was “chilling” in the woods, police said.

During a search of Griffin, police found two locks that had been cut and a lighter, police said.

Ruth’s car was impounded and searched by police.

Authorities eventually found a large amount of plumbing equipment and supplies scattered inside and outside the cut fence, including large pieces of metal, boxes of materials, Fieldpiece vacuum pumps, and other items, police said. There were also two carts containing supplies, a hand cart stacked with supplies, loose boxes, and a forklift with supplies on it, police said.

Police said the items were taken from the company’s delivery trucks, which were parked by the loading docks.

At least four trucks had their rear door locks cut off, police said.

Griffin told police that he and Ruth cut the fence surrounding the rear lot of the business, cut locks off the truck doors, moved plumbing supplies outside the fence, and stole items, in order to get money, per the affidavit.

Griffin was represented by Conshohocken attorney Andrew Levin. Ruth was represented by Philadelphia attorney Mark Hauser.

All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records