Upper Moreland Township Police Department Photo by James Short.
Upper Moreland police are investigating a series of thefts at Public Storage in Willow Grove and a stolen landscaping trailer reported on Broadway Avenue, connected through surveillance footage and phone records.
The incidents began on Nov. 15, 2025, when a trailer belonging to a local resident was reported stolen from the 2600 block of Broadway Avenue in the Hatboro section of Upper Moreland. The International landscaping trailer, valued at $500, was taken from the street sometime overnight.
Additional thefts were reported on Nov. 24, 2025, when another resident discovered two motorcycles and other equipment missing from his storage unit at Public Storage, 2535 Maryland Road. Stolen items included:
The following day, another storage unit (G006) belonging to Gregory Morrone was found broken into, with multiple landscaping tools, mowers, and a trailer stolen, totaling $10,335. Surveillance footage showed a white Toyota Prius and a dark Dodge Ram entering the property repeatedly over several days.
Police identified Jesse McLaughlin, 41, as the occupant of the Prius and Berry Pelfrey as the driver of the Ram. Video evidence and phone records placed both individuals at the storage facility during the thefts, moving stolen trailers, motorcycles, and other equipment between units and vehicles.
The stolen Broadway Avenue trailer and a black Suzuki motorcycle from one unit were later recovered in Hatfield at a residence connected to McLaughlin’s family. Additional stolen items were tracked to Pelfrey’s Dodge Ram and other locations through video surveillance and cell phone data.
Search warrants executed in December 2025 at residences in Clifton Heights and storage units in Clifton Heights and Willow Grove led to additional evidence, including stolen ramps, trailers, and tools, being secured by authorities.
Police continue to investigate the full scope of the thefts, and both McLaughlin and Pelfrey have been implicated in multiple incidents across Upper Moreland Township.
McLaughlin is facing multiple felonies related to Burglary and Receiving Stolen Property.
A preliminary hearing is set for March 20, 2026, at 9:45 a.m. before Judge Thomas P. Murt.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
