SNOW HILL – An Ocean City man with a penchant for breaking
and entering in the resort pleaded guilty again to second-degree burglary
stemming from an incident last December and was sentenced this time to 12 year
in jail, half of which was suspended putting him behind bars for six years.
Stanley Charles Celmer III, 28, of Ocean City, pleaded
guilty last week to second-degree burglary after breaking in to a Boardwalk
business last December, not long after he completed an eight-month stretch for
a string of similar burglaries in Ocean City dating back to the winter of 2005
and 2006. During that span, resort police handled as many as 60 cases of
breaking and entering and theft at vacant stores along the Boardwalk and
throughout Ocean City.
Resort detectives were able to connect Celmer to about 20
of the cases and warrants were sworn out for his arrest. Celmer’s whereabouts
were unknown in the winter of 2006 until OCPD investigators got a tip from the
public the suspect had fled the resort and was in Florida. Two Ocean City
detectives traveled to Florida and arrested Celmer on Feb. 17, 2006 and he was
extradited to Worcester County to face burglary and theft charges for as many
as 21 of the unsolved cases in Ocean City.
Last summer, Celmer pleaded guilty to second-degree
burglary, fourth-degree burglary and attempted second-degree burglary and was
sentenced to a total of 23 years for the three convictions combined, all of which
was suspended but eight months.
In December 2006, not long after he completed his
sentence, Celmer was up to his old tricks again and this time he was sentenced
to a long stretch in jail. On Dec. 19, the OCPD responded to the Dippin’ Dots
on the Boardwalk near 2nd Street for a reported break-in. The
officers met with the storeowner, who told them surveillance video revealed
someone had broken into the store and stolen $200 from the cash register.
The officers inspected the back door and found it had been
pried open at the dead bolt to gain entry. Celmer had been seen in the area of
the burglary and was known to be living on 2nd Street. Detective
Vickie Martin, who was investigating the case, had arrested Celmer in the past
on burglary charges and tried to connect him to the Dippin’ Dots case.
Martin
later interviewed Celmer admitted to the crime. Celmer told Martin he used the
money to buy crack cocaine and beer, according to the police report.