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Delaware State Police
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Dagsboro Man Arrested in Two State Crime Spree after Stealing Guns Released Saturday, February 07, 2009 Sussex County – The Delaware State Police have arrested John W. Brittingham, 26 of Dagsboro for several charges stemming from five residential burglaries throughout Sussex County where he stole firearms. The investigation began after a residential burglary occurred at a residence on Fire Tower Road, Laurel on January 22, 2009. In this burglary a total of nine firearms, including rifles and shotguns, were stolen from the home. Brittingham entered the home via an open garage door. On February 3, 2009, detectives recovered three of the stolen firearms from Southern Delaware Shooters, a gun store in Laurel, Delaware. As they continued with the investigation they learned that Brittingham had sold the stolen nine guns to the gun store on the same date as the burglary, January 22, 2009. On February 4, 2009, DSP investigators received a call from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Department stating that they were investigating two residential firearm burglaries and that John W. Brittingham was their suspect. Wicomico authorities advised that Brittingham sold several of the firearms from the Maryland burglaries at Big Brads Gun Shop in Salisbury, Maryland. Investigators from Maryland obtained a list of guns sold by John Brittingham at this gun store and consulted DSP investigators. DSP detectives discovered several firearms on the list that were reported stolen from five active burglary complaints in Delaware. These burglaries include the Fire Tower Road location and the following;
Delaware authorities had already obtained arrest warrants for Brittingham for the burglary on Fire Tower road and after the joint investigation with Wicomico County Sheriff’s they were able to identify him as the suspect in the other burglaries. As such, both departments continued aggressively searching for Brittingham. On February 5, 2009 at approximately 12:30 pm, DSP detectives working with the DSP Sussex County Governor’s Task Force, developed information that Brittingham may be in the area of Cross Keys Road, Millsboro. Shortly afterward, acting on information received, troopers conducted a traffic stop on John Brittingham on Cross Keys Road (CR432) as he was operating a gold Mazda Millennia. Mr. Brittingham was taken into custody without incident. As troopers searched the vehicle, they located a small plastic bag with 1.5 grams of cocaine on the driver's side floorboard. During an interview with Brittingham detectives obtained information from him that implicated him in all of the burglaries referenced above including additional crimes committed in Maryland. DSP obtained arrest warrants and charged him with the other four burglaries. The Delaware State Police are continuing the joint investigation with Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office on these other crimes. Because of this investigation, Brittingham was charged with the following crimes: 5 counts of Burglary 2nd degree, 29 counts of Theft of a Firearm, 10 counts of Possession of a Deadly Weapon by Person Prohibited, 6 counts of Theft, 2 counts of Criminal Mischief, Maintaining a Vehicle for Keeping Controlled Substances, Possession of Cocaine and Selling a Stolen Firearm. He was remanded to the Sussex Correctional Institute in lieu of a $149,000 secured bond. It should be known that this is an ongoing investigation and if additional information becomes available it will be released. ### |
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