A Palmerton man has waived charges of theft, burglary and criminal trespass to Carbon County Court.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by officer Adam Shimer of the Palmerton Borough Police Department in the case against Blake Grube:

Shimer was working on the afternoon of May 1 when he was contacted by the owner of a rental building located in the 100 block of Delaware Ave.

The owner filed a report saying a tenant, Grube, 23, had portrayed himself as a representative of the victim to other residents and used the keys removed from the secure space to gain access to other secured areas of the occupied building.

Police said Grube admitted to entering the spaces stating he was “cleaning up the community.”

Grube admitted that he entered the area without asking and was still in possession of a key.

The victim said that Grube was observed entering the secured area on April 20, April 21, April 22, and April 24, as the dates were allegedly determined from a doorbell recording device.

The victim also said that 20 keys granting access to various apartments were missing from the room in question.

Shimer contacted a witness who was also Grube’s partner, and the witness reported that Grube took her to apartment 10 within the building, which was a separately secure apartment in the building.

Apartment 10 was unused; however, Grube used the keys taken from the first area to gain access to the apartment.

It was reported that Grube was inside the room performing unknown activities.

The second witness produced several keys labeled for apartments in the building. The keys were removed from Grube’s personal property inside the witnesses’ apartment.

The victim reported that the keys recovered from Grube’s personal belongings were removed from the first secured area.

It was also relayed by the victim that the keys would grant access to additional apartments within the building, and that they would have to replace all locks associated with the keys that Grube had taken.

Grube faces charges on 20 counts of theft by unlawful taking or disposition, and two counts each of burglary and criminal trespass.

He is incarcerated in the Carbon County Correctional Facility in lieu of $50,000 straight bail.