Suspect for Wedding Day Theft Turns Himself In, Is Being Investigated in Other Counties, Police Say

Written by Nicole Foulke.

Authorities confirmed that Joseph Patrick Franzone Jr., for whom an arrest warrant was issued in connection to the theft of thousands of dollars worth of wedding gifts at the William Penn Inn, turned himself in this morning, accompanied by his attorney, Matthew R. Kline, Esq.  

According to Lower Gwynedd police chief Paul Kenny, Franzone is also being investigated in Chester county and Lancaster county for the same type of theft.  

First assistant district attorney Kevin R. Steele told Patch that Franzone was arraigned before a magisterial district judge today and had his bail set for $150,000 cash before being taken to a correctional facility.  “The investigation into this matter as well as others is continuing," he said.  

Montgomery County district attorney Risa Ferman announced on Thursday that an arrest warrant had been issue for Fanzone, four days after a newlywed couple found their wedding cake-shaped box full of $3,000 to $5,000 worth of monetary gifts had been taken out of a car parked at the inn.

According to a report issued by Ferman, police soon discovered that Franzone has borrowed his girlfriend’s car on the day of the theft, and they found an envelope belonging to the newlyweds inside of the car.  Surveillance images from the William Penn Inn show Franzone "casing the reception and parking lot," said police.

Franzone, 35, is being charged with theft and related offenses.  According to Kenny, after court Franzone was taken to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Lower Providence.  The facility confirmed that Franzone was still incarcerated there as of this afternoon.

“I would like to thank all the people who called us with information on the suspect which led to his arrest,” Kenny wrote in an email to Patch.

Franzone has a criminal record that spans two decades, where he has pled guilty to receiving stolen property in 1995, seven counts of burglary in 1996, drug charges in 2000, and theft by taking in 2004, according to court documents. 

According to Kline, who declined to comment on how Franzone will plea, his client is currently unemployed, and he believes that Franzone lost his job due to a drug addiction. 

“I believe Joe’s problems stem from his unfortunate drug addiction, said Kline.