ROCKLAND, Maine — A Rockland man who had been sought by police for more than three months for twice stealing donation jars at a local store is behind bars.
David A. Carver, 39, made his initial court appearance Wednesday in Rockland District Court on four counts of theft as well as a motion to revoke his probation. Carver pleaded not guilty to the offenses.
Judge Patricia Worth set bail at $1,000 cash, an agreement worked out between defense lawyer for the day William Pagnano and Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey Baroody. Carver remained in jail as of Thursday morning.
An affidavit filed in court by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office reported that Carver was observed on a video surveillance camera stealing donation jars twice — April 4 and April 28 — from the Keag Store in South Thomaston. The donation jars were on the store counter to benefit two people.
The footage showed Carver and another man working together both times to distract the clerk while the jar was stolen.
The investigation led to Carver and another suspect. That man — Mark L. Harding, 40, of Rockland — was apprehended earlier this year, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on June 6 to 30 days in jail for those two thefts as well as thefts at the Family Dollar Store in Rockland and Walmart in Thomaston.
Carver, however, remained at large. He was spotted on two occasions by police but he fled on foot.
On Monday, however, Rockland police received information that he was going to be at a convenience store in Rockland and officers waited and apprehended him.
Carver is also charged with stealing an air gun from Corson Auto Supply in Rockland on June 25. A final theft was of a tiller worth more than $500 from Tractor Supply in Thomaston on Aug. 10. A video surveillance of that theft showed that he drove a pickup truck to the back of the store and placed the tiller in it and drove off without paying. He was spotted by a customer who reported the incident.