Samuel Painter didn’t have the money he owed his drug dealer, police say. So he called Grandma.
If he didn’t come up with $1,000 in two hours he was a dead man, he reportedly told her. He even allowed Granny to talk to the drug dealer, who told her that he worked for “nasty people,” police said.
But rather than go to the bank, Grandma called Middletown police, who set up a sting that ended with the arrest of Painter, 43, of Bristol Township, and two others.
 |
| Samuel Pitcher (center) and accomplices |
Shortly after 8 a.m. April 12, police talked to the Parkvale Avenue grandmother about the possible hostage situation. She told them about her grandson’s call from an unfamiliar phone number.
The grandson told her that he was being held hostage by his drug dealer, whom he owed $1,500.
The woman said she heard someone in the background as she spoke with Painter and she asked if it was the drug dealer. Yes, Painter told her, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Put him on the phone, she reportedly said. And Painter did.
The man told her that he is a dealer for “some big wheel” who works for “nasty people,” according to court records. She had until noon to get the $1,000 or her grandson would be dead.
She received another call from the same phone number — later identified as belonging to Patrick Bussmann, 45, of Morrisville, while the officer was at her house. When Painter got on the phone with Grandma, the first thing he asked about was the money, court records show.
The police officer listened to the conversation and heard Painter say that he now needed $1,200, according to court documents.
The woman told Painter she didn’t have $1,200. She didn’t even have enough money to buy her prescription drugs for two months, she told him, according to the affidavit. She needed more time to reach out to family and visit the bank.
Painter reduced the amount back to $1,000 and told her to meet him outside a Business Route 1 diner at noon, police said.
Middletown detectives then went to work finding photos of Bussmann and Painter and arranging for surveillance at the restaurant. Shortly before noon, police in an unmarked car followed the grandmother to the diner.
An officer stationed there noticed Bussmann driving a green Ford pickup truck that circled the parking lot twice before parking. Painter got out of Bussmann’s truck and approached his grandmother’s car.
Did she have the money? Painter allegedly asked just before police arrested him.
Bussmann and another passenger in the truck, Larry Clegg, 24, of Trenton also were arrested.
At police headquarters, Clegg admitted that all three men were in the pickup truck when Painter called his grandmother for money and he acknowledged that it was wrong to tell her he would harm Painter, according to the affidavit.
“Clegg said that he only said that so Samuel could get the money to pay him back,” according to the affidavit.
The men were arraigned before Bristol Township District Judge Robert Wagner Jr. on an identical charge of conspiracy for theft and extortion, a first-degree misdemeanor. Painter and Clegg were released after posting 10 percent of their $5,000 bail, which was reduced from $30,000, and Bussmann was released on his own recognizance.
Jo Ciavaglia: 215-949-4181; email: jciavaglia@phillyBurbs.com; Twitter: @jociavaglia
No comments:
Post a Comment