Latest news with #ComicCollection
CBS News
04-05-2025
- CBS News
1 of the 2 men accused of violent comic book store robbery in Bucks County, Pennsylvania sentenced
One of the two men from Michigan who pleaded guilty in March was sentenced to 10 and a half to 25 years in state prison for his role in the September 2022 violent comic book store robbery in Bucks County, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office announced in a release on Friday. Caleb James-Lorenze Simpson, 36, of Clarklake, Michigan, pled guilty to charges of robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, and aggravated assault, the DA said. Simpson will have 20 years of probation. The released said there was evidence presented by First Assistant District Attorney Edward M. Louka that included store surveillance footage showing Simpson and co-defendant, Zackery Maximus Tucker, going into the store then Simpson knocking David Schwartz, the owner of Comic Collection in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, off the ladder, following both men beating and zip-tying Schwartz. "Simpson was also shown punching the victim with brass knuckles and threatening him with a knife," the DA said. Schwartz suffered injuries, including many bruises, broken teeth, and broken ribs. The DA said Simpson and Tucker took a laptop, Schwartz' keys, cash, comic books, Pokémon cards, action figures, and other merchandise from the comic book store. Tucker, 23, of Quincy, Michigan, was sentenced to five to 12 years in state prison on March 14 for his role in the robbery, the release said. He was ordered to pay restitution of $20,029.88. The DA said Tucker was also ordered to have no contact with Schwartz or his family and the Comic Collection store. Judge Stephen A. Corr stressed the importance of community protection while addressing Simpson during his sentencing. Corr noted the deliberate nature of Simpson's actions, stating that he traveled from his community in Michigan to Bucks County specifically to commit the crime and further stressed that Simpson had multiple opportunities to halt, rethink, or abandon his plan but chose to proceed with the violent robbery, the DA said.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
Michigan men admit to robbery, assault of Bucks County comics book store owner in 2022
Two Michigan men have admitted robbing and assaulting the owner of a Feasterville comic book store in 2022, a crime they were arrested for nearly two years later. At a hearing Friday, Bucks County Court of Common Pleas Judge Stephen Corr sentenced 23-year-old Zackery Maximus Tucker to five to 12 years in state prison. He was also ordered to pay more than $20,000 in restitution to the store owner. Corr deferred sentencing for the second defendant, Caleb James-Lorenze Simpson, 36, until May 2. More Bucks County news Falls police union drops suit seeking repayment for catering. Neither side is saying why. The men, who were charged last year, entered guilty pleas Friday to felony charges including robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and aggravated assault in the Sept. 18, 2022 robbery and assault of David Schwartz. Before sentencing, Schwartz told the judge that the in the 40 years he's owned the Comic Collection he's never had a problem at the store, which has become a well-known and respected business. That changed, however, the day that Tucker and Simpson, two long haul truckers, walked through the door. 'They took the sense of security and safety away from me,' Schwartz said. Store surveillance footage played in court also showed men wearing masks, later identified as Simpson and Tucker, entering the Bustleton Pike store and pretending to be customers. They asked the store owner to retrieve merchandise off a high shelf. After Schwartz climbed the ladder, one of the men knocked him off, sending the owner onto the ground where he landed on his head. Both men then beat Schwartz and tied him up using zip ties, Lower Southampton police said. During the assault, Simpson punched the victim while wearing brass knuckles and held a knife to his face threatening to kill him if he didn't cooperate. At the hearing, Bucks County First Assistant District Attorney Edward Louka showed store surveillance footage that captured the attack and police body cam footage showing the officer finding the badly beaten Schwartz on the floor. The owner suffered numerous bruises, cuts, broken teeth and broken ribs, authorities said. After incapacitating Schwartz, the men loaded two duffle bags and a backpack with items including a laptop, cash, comic books, Pokémon cards, cash and action figures, police said. They also allegedly took the victim's keys and the cash out of his wallet, but left his credit cards. During a search for the suspects, police recovered the duffle bags, which the suspects dropped, and clothing believed to be worn by the men. More than a year after the robbery, Lower Southampton police received a tip that Simpson and another trucker, later identified as Tucker, were behind the robbery. Video footage helped to identify the men as the suspects. Police then learned that three weeks after the Feasterville robbery Simpson was charged in Michigan for assault and attempting to steal a firearm. In February 2024, Lower Southampton police received DNA results back from the items they recovered the day of the robbery, which were sent to a Pennsylvania State Police lab for analysis. The results showed a possible DNA match to Simpson. Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at jciavaglia@ This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Feasterville business owner says defendants took his sense of security
CBS News
14-03-2025
- CBS News
2 men from Michigan plead guilty to assaulting, robbing Bucks County, Pennsylvania, comic book store owner
Two men from Michigan pled guilty on Friday to assaulting and robbing a Bucks County comic book store owner more than two years ago, according to the district attorney's office. On Friday, Zackery Maximus Tucker, 23, and Caleb James-Lorenze Simpson, 36, pled guilty to robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and aggravated assault. Tucker was sentenced to five to 12 years in state prison, ordered to have no contact with the victim or the comic book store and to pay $20,029.88 in restitution, investigators said. Simpson's sentencing date is scheduled for May 2. Tucker and Simpson pled guilty to assaulting David Schwartz, the owner of Comic Collection in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, back on Sept. 18, 2022. According to the DA's Office, the two men from Michigan pretended to be customers and asked Schwartz to help them get merchandise off a high shelf. Schwartz climbed a ladder to get to the high shelf when he was knocked off by Simpson, investigators said. Schwartz fell off the ladder, landed on his head, and was beaten and tied up by Simpson and Tucker, according to the DA's Office. Investigators said Simpson was wearing brass knuckles and punched Schwartz, held a knife to his face and threatened to kill him if he didn't cooperate. The men got away with a laptop, Schwartz's keys, cash, comic books. Pokemon cards, action figures and other store items. Schwartz suffered several contusions, lacerations, broken teeth and ribs from the assault, officials said. "To get beaten and beaten badly in my own business, I didn't ever expect that in my lifetime," Schwartz told CBS News Philadelphia in March 2023. "This is the land of happiness. Why would someone come in this store and beat the heck out of me?" Throughout their investigation, police discovered some of the stolen merchandise and clothing believed to have been worn by the suspects. Lower Southampton Township police asked for the public's help with any leads to identifying the suspects behind the crimes. It wasn't until a year after the initial attack that Lower Southampton Township police received word that connected Simpson and Tucker to the comic store robbery. After further investigation, including DNA testing, the two men were linked to the crime, officials said.
