RepublicanAmerican Waterbury heist of inhalers may be solved Trio of suspects linked to theft at storage unit May 2, 2017 - Local - Tagged: Anthony Samele, Greater Waterbury, Police, Storage, U-Haul Towns: Greater Waterbury, Waterbury CT - 1 comment BY JONATHAN SHUGARTS REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN WATERBURY - Police believe they have solved the heist of $73,000 worth of inhalers from a storage center on Bank Street last month, finding that at least one man helped in the burglary to support his drug habit. Following the theff, the inhalers, which can cost hundreds of dollars each, had been offered for sale online for $20 using an app that’s similar to Craigslist. Its unclear if the thieves knew they scored big when they targeted several units within U- Haul Moving and Storage, including a unit that was rented by a pharmaceutical company. The renter of that unit discovered that chain link fencing atop the unit had been clipped, then peeled back during a visit on April 5. The company was storing cases of prescription-grade inhalers used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which were marketed under the names Spiriva and Stiolto. Hundreds of inhalers were stolen during the heist, which was captured on surveillance cameras. That footage showed three men entering the building at about midnight after they used a key card to gain access to the building. After grabbing a hand cart, they took an elevator to the second floor, then used it to haul boxes to a getaway car parked in front of the building. Police investigated a break-in at the U-Haul storage and rental ‘truck facility on Bank Street in Waterbury im early April, Police say $73,000 in inhalers were stolen from a unit within the building. Republican-American archives Spriva respimat inhalation spray 2.5, megAnthony Samela, 34, and Watts Briley, 32, ‘This screen shot of a listing on Offer Up, an app similar to were identified by police as two of the men Craigslist that le use for sway items, shows one of involved in the theft ae ee $73,000 worth of stolen inhalers that were taken from storage Before U-Haul took over operations at the site unit on Bank Street in early April. The condition was listed as in 2018, the building belonged to United “new” and “never used.” Though the inhalers can retail for Storage. In 2011, a newspaper investigation —_pyndveds of dollars, the one shown here was offered for $20. found that people were living inside the building after they entered a key code that granted them access to the fac lity at night. After U-Haul took over, an employee told the newspaper a new security system was installed that required key cards for entry and 24-hour surveillance Police leamed that a man who had rented a unit within the building stopped paying rent, but gave his key card to another man, later identified as 24-year-old Olajuwon Harrington. y they recovered $73,000 worth of inhalers from the Days after the heist, police arrested ee : Harrington after they say he tried to run from back of an apartment in this home at 893 Highland Ave. in an officer who stopped a car he was riding in ‘Waterbury, Police suspect the iahalers were stolen from a the Brooklyn section of the city. Harrington, storage unit on Bank Street in early April. Jonathan Shugarts who was already suspected of shoplifting and ‘Republican-American other thefts, told police that he was addicted to drugs and had been committing crimes to ‘support his habit. He went on to tell police he had met the man BRAND SAFETY with the key card for the unit at a homeless & 1 shelter in the city. After stealing the inhalers, the trio of thieves, realized they couldn't make much with them, on the street, so Harrinaton placed them for sale on OfferUp, a website and cellphone app that allows people to sell items Accheck of OfferUp on Tuesday showed a user of the site lists his location as Waterbury and was selling the medicine for $20, listing the condition of the inhaler as “never used." After police arrested Harrington, detectives were led to a home at 893 Highland Ave. where they found cases of the inhalers on a back porch. The medicine was seized, ‘Samela,, who was already jailed on unrelated charges, was charged Monday with first-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny and burglary. He's being held on bonds totaling $26,000. Briley, who is on parole, is not in custody.