Great work by the Westchester County Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center.
The multi-agency Real Time Crime center supports a broad range of criminal investigations, including cases involving gun trafficking, gang activity, violent crimes, auto theft, narcotics and stolen golf clubs.
Wait, stolen golf clubs? RTC?
As you can probably guess, we’re not talking about a pilfered putter here and a purloined wedge there. But let’s tee this tale off from the beginning.
In mid-February, RTC developed a pattern involving overnight pro-shop burglaries that were occurring at golf courses in Westchester, Rockland and Connecticut. It also connected that pattern to multiple thefts from a sporting goods store in Yonkers. In all, tens of thousands of dollars of high-end golf clubs and other pricy equipment had been stolen.
RTC investigators began cross referencing all the information from multiple cases and soon developed a suspect. A task force was created and, over the next several weeks, members conducted countless hours of technical and physical surveillance, and created additional intelligence workups. Investigators from the following agencies contributed at various points in the investigation:
Bedford PD, Carmel PD, Clarkstown PD, Croton PD, Eastchester PD, Elmsford PD, FBI Westchester Safe Streets, Greenburgh Task Force, Harrison PD, Haverstraw PD, Lewisboro PD, New Castle PD, NYPD, NYSP, Orangetown PD, City of Rye PD, Stamford (CT) PD, WCPD RTC, Yonkers PD and Yorktown PD.
This team effort culminated in the apprehension of a suspect, Matthew Berman, 41, outside a deli in Millwood on March 10. At the time of his arrest, Berman was attempting to sell a Theragun massage device that was stolen from Mount Kisco Country Club, one of two golf-related burglaries that occurred in the Town of New Castle.
Berman was transported to New Castle PD on that occasion, and his East 238th St., Bronx, residence was subsequently searched. Task Force members recovered numerous stolen golf items from his home and vehicle along with multiple stolen license plates and an imitation Beretta handgun. WCPD’s Forensic Investigation Unit assisted with processing the recoveries at his home, as well as processing his phone for additional evidence.
After being interviewed by investigators from WCPD, New Castle PD, Orangetown PD, New York State Police and Yonkers PD, Berman was charged in connection to:
– Two burglaries in New Castle
– Four burglaries in Orangetown
– One burglary in Norwalk, CT
– One burglary in Stamford, CT
– Five grand larcenies in Yonkers.
During the investigation, information was also developed that Berman was conducting surveillance of other golf courses and golf retail stores in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The investigation continues into whether there are other related burglaries and larcenies.
Now that we’ve arrived at the 18th hole of this unusual investigation, we’ll close it out with a salute to RTC and partners for making another irons-clad case. But as you already know, excellent work in RTC is, well, par for the course.
