Ripped Off by the Repairman

A young repairman went into Delaware homes to fix heaters and walked out with thousands of dollars worth of gold and jewelry, according to police.

He got caught because he pawned too much, too fast and police say that threw up a big red flag for one of the New Castle County detectives.

The officer then kept a close watch on Matthew J. Hartnett until he had the evidence needed to charge the 24-year old, said police.

Some of the stolen goods have been linked to two particular victims. In one case, Hartnett was accused of pilfering nearly $13,000 worth of jewelry from a home in Bear, DE.

The suspect worked for George W. Burns, Inc. during the crime spree, according to police. He may have also been doing some work on the side.

Police plan to return the recovered items to victims who can prove ownership.

And if Hartnett answered a repair call at your home, Detective Eric Godwin would love for you to call him: 302-395-8110.

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