Prolific Tri-State Burglary Suspect Slapped With More Charges

NORTH JERSEY - A prolific burglary suspect that had been under investigation for more than a year in three states by multiple agencies has been his with a slew of new charges, according to the Morris County Prosecutor's Office.

According to authorities, Patrick Ryan, 31, of Fairfield, Conn., burglarized numerous residents throughout the tristate area including locations in:

• Franklin Borough
• Hardyston Township
• Lafayette Township
• Sparta Township
• Vernon Township
• Wantage
• Rockaway Township
• Butler
• Kinnelon
• Chester
• Boonton Township
• Franklin Lakes
• Warren Township
• Warwick, NY
• The Town of Goshen, NY
• Greenville, NY
• The Town of Chester, NY
• The Town of Campbell Hall, NY
• Minisink, NY
• The Town Of Wallkill, NY
• The village of Florida, NY
• New Canaan, Conn.
• New Milford, Conn.
• Greenwich, Conn.

Ryan's arrest stems from the joint efforts of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Intelligence Unit, the Boonton Township Police Department, the Chester Police Department, the Kinnelon Police Department and the Rockaway Township Police Department; in conjunction with other multiple law enforcement agencies from New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, whose combined efforts identified an individual who had committed numerous burglaries and thefts in the tri-state area, officials said.

Ryan was apprehended by officers as a result of a multi-jurisdiction investigation. Ryan was in possession of several victim's personal property as well as specific tools utilized while committing these burglaries, police said.

As a result of this investigation a multitude of stolen property was recovered, including:

• Shotgun
• Crossbow
• Nine handguns
• multiple handbags and purses
• multiple credit cards
• personal identifications
• cash
• burglar tools
• large amount of gift cards

At the time of his arrest, Ryan was found in possession of stolen proceeds and is implicated in several motor vehicle burglaries and attempted burglaries in Rockaway Township from over the weekend of Jan. 23 and Jan. 24.

Ryan was charged with the following in Morris County:

• 13 counts of third degree burglary to a motor vehicle;
• Seven counts of third degree attempted burglary to a motor vehicle;
• One count of third degree theft from a motor vehicle;
• One count of third degree theft;
• Four counts of fourth degree theft;
• One count of fourth degree theft from a motor vehicle;
• One count of disorderly persons offense theft;
• Four counts of disorderly persons offense theft from a motor vehicle;
• Two counts of disorderly persons offense criminal mischief

When Ryan was arrested, New Jersey authorities had a warrant for Ryan's house in Fairfield but did not have jurisdiction, so Fairfield police obtained a warrant and conducted a search and seizure Sunday at the home at 41 Longview Ave. to claim any stolen property, Lt. Antonio Granata of the Fairfield Police Department told Patch.

The FPD is currently itemizing over 100 stolen items seized from the home, and will work with New Jersey agencies to determine whether possession of stolen property charges will come from Fairfield or the community from which the item was stolen. Possession charges as related to the items seized from Fairfield are at least a month away, according to Granata. Among the stolen property seized in Fairfield were eight firearms, but FPD cannot yet release details about the other items.

"There are a slew of towns that are involved and a slew of victims from those towns," Granata said.

Several additional items were located and seized as a result of executed search warrants to the vehicle Ryan was driving and within his home.

Burglaries involving Ryan are dated back to August 2020 through January 2021 and he would commit these crimes in the early morning hours between midnight and 7 a.m., police said.

According to authorities, Ryan is currently on probation in Connecticut for similar crimes.

Franklin Borough, Hardyston Township, the New Jersey State Police, Sparta Township, and Vernon Township Charged Ryan with numerous crimes to include:

• 74 counts of Burglary to a Motor Vehicle
• 13 counts of Criminal Mischief
• 51 counts of Theft of Movable Property
• Seven counts of theft of a credit card,
• One count of unlawful possession of a firearm
• One count of Burglary while in Possession of a Firearm

Police said Ryan's girlfriend, Chelsea A. Russell, 29, from Fairfield Conn., is also being investigated for her involvement in these crimes. Ryan is currently in the custody of the Morris County Correctional Facility, in accordance with Criminal Justice Reform, officials said.

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