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4 headed to court in JT burglary

Four people who were arrested for the burglary of the ticket booth of the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway in Jim Thorpe waived the charges to Carbon County Court.

The burglary occurred last Nov. 29 and reportedly stolen was about $2,200 in cash from a drawer. Numerous sets of keys used for train operations also were taken in addition to four hand-held communication radios.The defendants had hearings scheduled before District Judge Edward Lewis of Jim Thorpe. They are:Andrew Gilchrist, 30, of Swanksville, Montgomery County, who is facing 12 charges. He is in prison in lieu of $75,000 bail. Among the charges are intimidation of a witness and retaliation against a witness. Police say he threatened to break the legs of a witness.Neil Joseph Young, 31, of Plymouth, Luzerne County, who has nine charges filed against him. He is in prison in lieu of $5,000 bail.Stephanie Marie Thompson, 27, of Royersford, Montgomery County, has one count of receiving stolen property. She is free on $25,000 unsecured bail.Rachael Lynn Thompson, 23, also of Royersford, has one count of receiving stolen property and also is free on $25,000 unsecured bail.The burglary was discovered at about 8 a.m. on Nov. 29. The back window of the ticket booth, located along Route 209, was broken.On Dec. 21, Jim Thorpe police were contacted by the Royersford Police Department, who passed on information from a confidential source regarding the burglary. The Royersford police said Rachael Thompson had informed the source about the burglary.The affidavit says she told the informant "that she was having sexual relations with the male who robbed and stole money" from a train station in Jim Thorpe.Rachael Thompson previously had a Jim Thorpe address, the affidavit says.Detective Lee Marzen of the Jim Thorpe Police Department spoke with this confidential source, according to the affidavit. The informant told Marzen "that Thompson had been bragging about the burglary." After the burglary, the defendants allegedly went to the home of Thompson's mother in Jim Thorpe.Russell Dyer, an inmate at Graterford State Prison, reportedly had a phone conversation with Thompson's sister, Stephanie, and informed Dyer that Young burglarized the train station.Several items reportedly taken during the burglary, including keys, were recovered during a search at a residence in Jim Thorpe.Marzen also interviewed a Georgeann Scott, who, according to the affidavit, told him Gilchrist told her that he and Young threw a soda can through a window at the ticket booth. She also said Gilchrist told her he took money, walkie talkies and keys.He also interviewed the two Thompson sisters, the affidavit says, who both provided information on the burglary. Stephanie Thompson told police that "Andrew Gilchrist threatened to break her sister Rachael Thompson's legs for speaking with the police," the affidavit says.Young was interview by Detective Marzen, according to the affidavit, and he admitted that he and Gilchrist broke into the train station.Gilchrist is charged with nine felonies, a misdemeanor, and two summary offenses. The charges are burglary, conspiracy burglary, criminal solicitation, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, conspiracy receiving stolen property, two counts of criminal trespass, criminal mischief, intimidation of a witness, retaliation against a witness, and damage to railroad property.Young faces charges of burglary, conspiracy burglary, criminal solicitation, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, two counts of criminal trespass, damage to railroad property, and criminal mischief.