Milton man charged with felony retail theft in Lewisburg card thefts

A 55-year-old Milton man is facing felony retail theft charges after Buffalo Valley Regional Police said he stole $154 worth of NFL football cards from Cole’s Hardware in Lewisburg on at least two occasions.

Police identified the defendant as Brenan Stant Roser. Investigators said the thefts happened March 1 and March 17 at the hardware store at 55 N. 2nd St., a familiar stop for Union County shoppers. On March 1, police said Roser was seen on security cameras browsing the football card section, picking up a box of cards, looking around and then placing his hand in his jacket pocket before leaving that area of the store. The store manager later reported the missing merchandise, and Roser’s return to the store on March 17 helped investigators connect the incidents.

The amount taken was small, but the charge was not. Pennsylvania’s retail-theft law makes a third or subsequent offense a felony of the third degree, regardless of the value of the merchandise. Prior convictions, Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition and other qualifying dispositions count when police and prosecutors determine whether a case reaches that level. In practical terms, that means repeated thefts can quickly move from summary-level shoplifting to a felony case even when the dollar loss is modest.

Roser’s case also fits a pattern of earlier Lewisburg retail-theft allegations. In 2025, he faced a felony retail-theft charge after allegedly taking nearly $100 worth of playing cards from Walmart, and records said he had two previous retail-theft convictions at that time. A 2024 case said he was charged after allegedly stealing 66 packs of Pokemon cards from Sheetz, with police describing it as his third retail theft. Together, those incidents help explain why investigators would treat the latest allegation as part of a repeat-offender pattern rather than a one-time loss.

For local retailers, that pattern matters. Collectible sports cards and similar items are easy to conceal and resell, which makes them a frequent target for quick thefts. Even when the immediate loss is only $154, merchants can wind up paying more for cameras, staff time spent reviewing footage, extra loss-prevention checks and the inventory shrinkage that eventually works its way into higher prices. In a place like Lewisburg, where the theft happened inside a recognizable neighborhood store, the case underscores how repeat shoplifting can hit local businesses far beyond the sticker price on a single box of cards.