Early on Easter Sunday, while most people were hunting for eggs, investigators say one Pontiac man was hunting for cash and cigarettes. According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, 48-year-old Terry David Manney is accused of carrying out a rapid series of break-ins that hit multiple gas stations and a retail store across Pontiac and Independence Township.
Detectives say surveillance footage from the early-morning hits shows a suspect forcing his way in with a crowbar, then taking off in a dark-colored vehicle. In total, authorities allege cash and roughly 30 cartons of cigarettes were taken. Investigators also link Manney to a separate April 1 break-in at a Pontiac market, describing a similar crowbar-and-getaway-car pattern.
Arrest, charges and court dates
Detectives say they tracked Manney to his residence and arrested him without incident. He was arraigned in Independence Township’s 52-2 District Court on a breaking-and-entering charge and is being held in the Oakland County Jail on a $75,000 bond, according to ClickOnDetroit.
Prosecutors, who are not done filing charges, expect to arraign him in Pontiac’s 50th District Court on four additional felony counts. Those planned charges include safe breaking, breaking and entering, and breaking and entering with intent. How those cases get split between courts is still being sorted out, but the legal pile-up is starting to look serious.
How this fits a recent pattern
Manney’s arrest comes as Oakland County deals with a steady run of thefts and burglaries that have been hammering small retailers and gas stations. A March burglary spree that ended in home-invasion charges in nearby Grosse Pointe Woods highlighted how fast smash-and-grab style crimes can drain small businesses and eat up law-enforcement hours.
Local shop owners say they have been tightening up overnight security, adding cameras or better locks, and are holding on to any surveillance footage that might help deputies connect the dots between cases.
Legal stakes
The charge that could loom largest over Manney is safe breaking, which carries a potential sentence of up to life in prison, according to ClickOnDetroit. The outlet also reports that Manney has a lengthy criminal record, with multiple convictions in Florida and Michigan and arrests in Ohio.
Prosecutors will have to decide how hard to push on enhanced penalties, depending on how those prior convictions score under Michigan’s sentencing guidelines. The math on that can significantly change the kind of time a defendant might be facing if convicted.
What to watch next
For now, Manney remains in custody while additional paperwork and charging decisions move through Pontiac’s courts. Business owners who believe they may have relevant video or other evidence are being urged to preserve it and contact investigators.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office posts contact information, tip lines and public resources on its website at the Oakland County Sheriff's Office. Deputies say community video, even short clips, can be crucial in tying together a string of cases like this one.
