Alleged Emmaus 'Bicycling Bandit' Will Head to County Court

The alleged "Bicycling Bandit"—who, police say, wore a pig mask in one case and fled by bicycle after robbing convenience stores—will face charges in Lehigh County Court after he waived his preliminary hearing this week.

Steven Felton, 31, of 617 1/2 Walnut St., Emmaus is charged in more than a dozen robberies including holdups at mini-marts and cigarette stores across the Lehigh Valley.

Police from Emmaus, Allentown and Whitehall, along with members of the Lehigh County Drug Task Force, arrested Felton at his Emmaus address in December. He is jailed in Lehigh County Prison in lieu of $300,000 bail. 

The initial robberies Felton was charged for are:

• Nov. 20:
• Nov. 13: Sunoco One Stop, 2304 MacArthur Road, Whitehall; $1,000 taken.
  
• Oct. 16: Emmaus Liberty Bell Beverage, 1438 Chestnut St., Emmaus; unknown amount taken.
• Oct. 16: Jordan Park Beverage, 1208 MacArthur Road, Whitehall; failed attempt to grab cash register.
• Oct. 11: Hess Station, 1043 Lehigh St., Allentown; $542 taken.
• Oct. 6: Top Star Mobil gas station, 2724 MacArthur Road, Whitehall; $83 taken.

Felton dressed in similar fashion in the robberies, wearing a grey-hooded sweatshirt and black sweatpants with stripes on the sides, according to court records. He wore black sneakers with white soles and a baseball hat with a light-colored bill in some cases, police say.

In four of the six incidents, Felton allegedly used a black handgun. In two of the robberies, witnesses allegedly saw him flee on a bicycle, and in one instance, ride the bicycle to a dark-colored SUV.

During the Emmaus Liberty Bell robbery, Felton wore a Halloween mask, possibly that of a pig, according to the arrest affidavit. The use of a mask during the Emmaus incident led police to believe the robber may have had a connection to Emmaus and didn't want to be recognized. As a result, investigators began searching databases for SUVs associated with the Emmaus area, the affidavit says.

A dark blue GMC Envoy was found registered to Josephine Felton, also of 617 1/2 Walnut St. Josephine Felton reported to Emmaus Police on Oct. 28 that her estranged husband, Steven Felton, took her Envoy for several days without her knowing where he was. The vehicle matches one seen in a surveillance video. 

The investigation is continuing and more charges may be filed, the District Attorney's office said.

Felton had a previous arrest by the Philadelphia Police Department for robbery in 2010, according to the affidavit.

As in every criminal case the fact that an arrest has occurred or a complaint has been filed is merely an accusation; and the defendant, Steven Felton, is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.