Felony Charges Filed Against Alleged Day Care Thief

Felony theft charges have been filed against the suspected "day care thief," who police allege stole credit cards and other items from cars parked outside of a Germantown KinderCare between Dec. 30 and Feb. 24.

Jason Elliot Thomas, 31, of Gaithersburg, has a scheduling hearing Friday in Montgomery County Circuit Court.

He was arrested in June on several misdemeanor theft charges. But assistant state’s attorney Stephen H. Chaikin recently filed felony theft charges against Thomas. Chaikin said the scheme involved numerous victims, stores and credit cards, which called for a tougher charge.

According to Maryland law, felony theft carries a stiffer penalty — a possible 10-year-sentence, as opposed to the 18-month sentence a misdemeanor theft conviction could bring.

“Our goal is to have parents feel safe when they pick up and drop off their children,” Chaikin said.

Police said parents who left their vehicles unlocked while they picked up their children reportedly discovered that personal items, including credit cards, were missing, Patch reported in June.

Police alleged that in several of the incidents, the stolen credit cards were immediately used at nearby stores. Police said that citizen saw surveillance video reportedly identified Thomas.