Crime & Safety

Emmaus Man Charged as Bicycling Bandit

An Emmaus man has been charged as the 'Bicycling Bandit' who allegedly robbed stores in four Lehigh County towns, including Coopersburg.

A 31-year-old Emmaus man is facing charges as the "Bicycling Bandit" who allegedly robbed six convenience stores and beer distributors in October and November, according to the Lehigh County District Attorney's office.

The alleged robber is Steven Felton of 617 1/2 Walnut St., Emmaus. One of his targets, authorities say, was a Coopersburg gas station.

Police from Emmaus, Allentown and Whitehall, along with members of the Lehigh County Drug Task Force, arrested Felton at his Emmaus address Friday. He was arraigned Friday night by District Judge Michael Pochron of Salisbury Township and committed to Lehigh County Prison.

Find out what's happening in Emmauswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

His bail was set at $300,000. 

According to court documents, Felton is charged in the following robberies:

Find out what's happening in Emmauswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • 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.

According to the arrest affidavit, Felton dressed in similar fashion in the robberies, wearing a grey-hooded sweatshirt and black sweatpants with stripes on the sides. In several instances he was also described as wearing black sneakers with white soles and a baseball hat with a light color on the bill.

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.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

More from Emmaus