An Ashland man is facing multiple felony charges in connection with a burglary at a local business in November 2024, according to court documents filed by Ashland Police.
Daniel Maxwell Leary Sr., 30, of Ashland, has been charged with burglary, criminal trespass, theft by unlawful taking, and receiving stolen property following an investigation into a break-in at a vape shop along West Centre Street.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, police were called to the business on the morning of November 6, 2024, after the owner reported a burglary had occurred overnight. Investigators determined entry was made through a rear window, which had been broken and pushed inward.
Inside the business, officers observed damage and signs of forced entry. The owner reported that approximately $80 in cash was taken from the register, along with a large quantity of vape-related merchandise.
Items reported stolen included multiple cartons of vape pods and numerous boxes of disposable vape products, with total losses estimated to be several hundred dollars.
While processing the scene, officers observed what appeared to be blood on a display cabinet and the broken window. The Pennsylvania State Police Forensic Services Unit was called to assist, and swabs of the suspected blood were collected and submitted for DNA analysis.
According to investigators, laboratory results later confirmed that the DNA profile obtained from the scene matched Leary. The DNA was entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), which returned a match identifying him as the source.
Police subsequently obtained a search warrant for Leary’s DNA and collected a buccal swab while he was incarcerated at SCI Mahanoy on unrelated charges. Further testing confirmed the match between Leary’s DNA and the samples recovered from the crime scene.
Leary was charged by Ashland Police on Monday, April 6th, 2026 with the following:
- Burglary – Not Adapted for Overnight Accommodation, No Person Present (Felony 2)
- Criminal Trespass – Break Into Structure (Felony 2)
- Theft by Unlawful Taking (Misdemeanor 1)
- Receiving Stolen Property (Misdemeanor 1)
According to officials, Leary remains incarcerated in state prison on separate charges and has not yet been arraigned on the burglary-related offenses as of this report.