Seven Charged in Four-County Burglary Ring

Seven people were charged today with participating in a ring of burglars who struck several homes in Cranberry Township and throughout Butler, Allegheny, Beaver and Lawrence counties.

Pennsylvania Acting Attorney General Bill Ryan said the Allegheny County-based ring netted nearly $210,000 in at least 10 burglaries between February and April of last year.

A state grand jury identified the group’s ringleader as John Balicki, 29, of 104 Independence Court, Monroeville.

Investigators said Balicki, posing as a landscaper, burglarized homes during daylight hours when people usually are at work. They said he often was accompanied by Matt Barth, 29, of RR#2, Box 61, West Finley.

Barth, who testified before the grand jury after his arrest, told investigators the burglars wore brown shirts, brown pants, hats and gloves while pretending to look for work.

Investigators said Balicki’s associates, who either aided in the burglaries or received stolen property were: Kelly Kuzbicki, 28, of 334 Fourth Ave. East, Beaver Falls; Kyle Smith, 25, of 421 Valley View Drive, Monroeville; Christopher Black, 20, of 520 Sunynfield Drive, Monroeville; Ty Brown, 33, of 505 East Crawford Ave., Connellsville; and Michael Koebler, 25, of 413 Valley View Drive, Monroeville.

Kuzbicki, who is Balicki’s girlfriend, accompanied him while he supposedly was soliciting landscaping jobs, according to the grand jury.

According to investigators, the group targeted larger homes in housing developments. After casing the homes to determine their targets, Balicki knocked on the front door of the home, according to the grand jury presentment.

If someone answered his knock, he offered landscaping services. If no one answered, Balicki headed to the back of the home and broke in while Barth acted as a lookout, according to the attorney general’s office.

Balicki and his associates used walkie-talkies or text messaging to communicate, according to investigators. They also were skilled at bypassing or disabling alarm systems.

Investigators said the group targeted homes for cash, credit cards, driver’s licenses, guns, computers and other items that could be sold quickly.

During an April 23 burglary at a home on Buckingham Trail in Cranberry Township, according to the grand jury, Balicki stole a white Chevrolet Tahoe after finding the keys inside the house.

Barth told investigators he drove the Tahoe to Ohio, where police eventually found it.

The burglars also took jewelry and two handguns -- a Colt revolver and a derringer -- from the home on Buckingham Trail, according to the grand jury. The firearms were later recovered in Monroeville.

On the same day, investigators said, the men broke into and took jewelry, electronics and a handgun from a home on Kilbuck Drive in Cranberry Township.

A blue Jeep Liberty the men had been using for the burglaries that day was later found abandoned in a parking lot, according to investigators. The vehicle had been reported stolen in Lawrence County earlier in the year.

Barth also told investigators he and Balicki burglarized two homes across the street from each other on Old Farm Road in Cranberry on March 24. Jewelry was among the stolen items.

Investigators said most of the items taken from the home were sold to other members of the organization or to local pawnshops. Sometimes, the items were stored in cars.

Balicki also hid jewelry and other items at various locations -- including near a bowling alley in Monroeville and under a pile of wood behind a car dealership in Beaver County -- before selling them, according to investigators.

During the course of the investigation, Ryan said, state and local police obtained and served search warrants and seized several duffel bags containing jewelry, silver proof coin sets, DVDS, video games, gaming consoles, a digital camera and laptops.

Investigators said the ring also burglarized homes in Monroeville, McCandless Township and Franklin Park in Allegheny County and Daugherty Township in Beaver County.  

The charges against Balicki included 25 counts of receiving stolen property, 22 counts of theft, 14 counts of burglary, seven counts of firearms violations, two counts of attempted burglary, two counts of attempted theft and other offenses.

Barth is charged with 12 counts of theft, 12 counts of receiving stolen property, nine counts of burglary, three counts of firearm violations and other offenses.

The group was arraigned today before Cranberry Magisterial District Judge David Kovach.