A handyman in a Toms River apartment complex faces burglary and theft counts in what police say was a two-year spree that surfaced in pawn shop records. They suspect that the list of victims is much longer than the one they've compiled.

Nicholas Bradley
Nicholas Bradley (Toms River Police)
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Nicholas Bradley, 32, of Manchester, was charged July 17, according to Toms River Police. He was employed at The Fairways of Bay Lea, and is accused of palming small amounts of cash and jewelry while carrying out maintenance requests in various apartments since 2012.

Investigators inspecting pawn records found Bradley connected to more than 100 exchanges since April 2012, police said. Township law enforcement authorities periodically review pawn databases and track individuals with high and frequent numbers of transactions.

Detectives Roger Hull and Mark Bajada, traced an image of a jewelry item bearing initials and a birth date to a woman in the complex who admitted being unaware that it was missing, police said.

The list of victims lengthened when investigators began exploring the jewelry receipt database alongside work orders submitted by the Fairways staff, police said.

Authorites believe that Bradley used a master key to enter, and help himself to cash and jewelry in barely-noticeable amounts. It would explain the small number of reports they received in the past two years, police said. Meanwhile, evidence allegedly points toy more than 100 incidents.

Police urge residents who have lived in Fairways at Bay Lea since 2012 - especially those who have requested maintenance work - to check their valuables and report missing items.

Detective Hull can be reached at 732-349-0150, extension 1291.

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