GLOVERSVILLE – City police said a homeless man was arrested Monday for the theft of checks and firearms.
Timothy Belden, 24, was charged by city police with theft of services, petit larceny and two felony counts of fourth-degree grand larceny – one count for the firearms and the other for the checks.
Police said Belden was arrested and processed on a warrant for theft of services, which was the result of his not paying a cab fare within the city.
Prior to the warrant being issued, police said, a report of checks being stolen from a residence and cashed throughout Fulton County implicated Belden.
The investigation led to information Belden not only stole the checks, police said, but wrote some to acquaintances and assisted them in cashing the checks.
Another report of stolen checks also was made that implicated Belden, police said. During the investigation, police said, it was learned he also stole and cashed those checks.
Det. Sgt. Mike Jory estimated Belden stole about $2,500 in checks.
Police said a report of stolen firearms – including handguns, rifles and shotguns – also surfaced.
Jory said Belden was charged for stealing and selling the firearms.
Police said detectives learned Belden and another person sold several of the longarms to various gun shops. The guns were then sold to customers, police said.
Police said those firearms were tracked down and recovered, but a number of handguns have not been recovered.
Jory said a total of 14 firearms have been reported missing. At this time, he said, the police have recovered four.
There is reason to believe that several of the handguns were sold to people in Gloversville, police said.
Anyone who has information about the stolen firearms can call Det. Joe Kadle at 773-4502 or Jory at 773-4569.
Levi Pascher covers Gloversville news. He can be reached by email at [email protected].
