Christopher Anthony

CENTER TWP — Two years after a competition rifle was stolen and later mysteriously returned to its owner, state police say they have solved the case.

The alleged thief, it turns out, has more than a dozen felony convictions.

The defendant, Christopher L. Anthony, 34, who has a last known address of Chicora, was already being held in Butler County Prison on unrelated charges when police arrested him Friday in the latest case.

District Judge Lewis Stoughton arraigned Anthony on two counts each of theft and receiving stolen property and one count of illegal possession of a firearm. All the charges are felonies,

He was later returned to the jail with bail set at $50,000 on the new charges.

Police began their investigation March 12, 2016, according to court documents, after a BAT Machine Co. 6 mm rifle was reported stolen from a car at the owner's home on Mahood Road in Center Township.

Also taken from the vehicle were two scopes, a gun case, a holster and a camera tripod.

About a month later, with few clues and no leads in their investigation, police got a call from the owner: the gun had been returned. Someone left it in his driveway.

Police never closed the case and eventually got a tip in January that helped break it wide open. The tipster dropped Anthony's name as a possible suspect.

Investigators subsequently spoke to a man who knew Anthony. The man recounted that in the spring of 2016 Anthony was trying to sell what was described as an “expensive/one-of-a-kind rifle,” documents said.

A trooper showed the man a photo of the owner's gun, which he identified as the one Anthony was trying to peddle.

The man also told police that once he learned the rifle had been stolen, he told Anthony to return it to the rightful owner.

Investigators during their interview shared information with the man that he didn't know. They told him the rifle had been returned April 26, 2016.

“He said 'good',” according to a police affidavit, “and was surprised that Anthony did what he asked.”

Court records show that Anthony has 13 felony convictions, mostly for burglaries in Butler and Armstrong counties.

Because of his felony record, by law, he is not allowed to possess a firearm.

Additionally, Anthony has six pending criminal cases — five in Westmoreland County and one in Butler County.

Since March 9, officials said, he's been shuttled between prisons in Butler and Westmoreland counties three times to attend different court hearings.

Anthony's attorney in Westmoreland County, public defender Christopher Haidze, did not return a telephone call Friday.

Online court records show his Butler County attorney is public defender Maura Palumbi, who could not be reached for comment.