Gloversville man now charged with seven burglaries within two weeks

PHOTOGRAPHER: Bethany Bump

Police filed additional charges Monday against a city resident they say is responsible for a two-week string of break-ins around the Glove Cities.

Todd J. Brown, 48, of 34 Wells St., was already being held on several counts of burglary, but he had been charged in only one of a dozen break-ins throughout the cities of Gloversville and Johnstown and the town of Johnstown.

On Monday, police charged him in connection with the following Gloversville break-ins:

• Mud Deli, 47 N. Main St., on Sept. 29

• Sacandaga Elks Club, 120 Washington St., on Oct. 1

• A residence at 16 Hill St., on Oct. 4

• Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall, 128 S. Kingsboro Ave., on Oct. 7

• Don’s Auto, 330 S. Main St., on Oct. 10

• Adirondack Chamois, 31 Union St., on Oct. 12

The charges include six counts of third-degree burglary, two counts of grand larceny, four counts of petty larceny and four counts of criminal mischief.

Gloversville police Capt. Donald VanDeusen said Brown was very likely attempting to “feed his drug habit” by selling the property he stole.

“We recovered approximately $8,000 in stolen property,” VanDeusen said, “but there’s still a lot of outstanding stolen property. There’s probably close to $10,000 to $15,000 in stolen property that’s been taken, and a lot of it was sold for pennies on the dollar.”

Brown was arraigned and sent back to the Fulton County jail, where he has been held since Oct. 10.

He is also facing charges of third-degree burglary, petty larceny and stolen property possession from a Sept. 29 burglary at Herrl Woodcraft on Hamilton Street.

There are five other area burglaries that police say are part of the same spree: A. Zarrelli Construction Co. and Derosa’s Shoe Repair in Gloversville; Auto World, Bear Muffler and Pleasant Avenue Garage in the city of Johnstown; and M&H Restoration and Waylett’s Garage in the town of Johnstown.

VanDeusen said the investigation and processing of evidence in those incidents is not complete, and charges cannot yet be filed.