A 23-year-old Taneytown man has been charged with burglarizing 17 small businesses in Carroll County, including seven in Westminster, said Westminster and state police.
James Henderson Bryant III of the 100 block of Carnival Drive was released on $50,000 unsecured bail set by a District Court commissioner in the Westminster cases, police said.
Those charges include multiple counts of second- and fourth-degree burglary and attempted burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, two counts of theft of more than $500, five counts of theft of less than $500, and malicious destruction of property - doors, windows and cash registers.
The list includes two break-ins at Paradiso Carryout on Locust Street. Those incidents occurred Oct. 1 and Jan 2. Five other break-ins occurred between Dec. 17 and 24: at the Flower Box in the first block of W. Main St.; at Shear Designs in Fairground Village shopping center; at Golden Palace restaurant in the 140 Village shopping center; at Roberto's Pizza in Crossroads Square; and at North China restaurant in Cranberry Square.
Lt. Terry L. Katz, commander of the Westminster state police barracks, said Bryant was charged by state police in the past week with 10 other burglaries in the county between Dec. 9 and Jan. 18.
Involved businesses include the Sub Shop in the 400 block of Route 140, Rhoten's Barber Shop in Westminster Shopping Center and Hilltop Subs and Pizza in the 7600 block of Woodbine Road near the Howard County line.
Bryant has also been charged in connection with burglaries at C and C Cleaners & Tailors and the Genesis Hair Salon, both in the 2300 block of Hanover Pike, Hampstead; and Pearle Vision Center, the Hair Cuttery and Pizza Mia, all in the 700 block of Hanover Pike in Hampstead.
Bryant was charged earlier in the week with two burglaries in Manchester, at the Pizza Garden and at Salon Terese, that took place Jan. 17.
Authorities say charges are pending in about a dozen other cases in Baltimore County and southern Pennsylvania.
In March 1998, Bryant pleaded guilty and was sentenced by Carroll Circuit Judge Raymond E. Beck Sr. to six years in prison for six burglaries in Westminster, Manchester and Taneytown in 1997. At the time, he was serving an 18-month jail term for a Frederick County burglary conviction.