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Zackery Maximus Tucker, 23, of Quincy, and Caleb James-Lorenze Simpson, 36, of Clarklake, pleaded guilty to robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, and aggravated assault, according to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office.
Tucker was sentenced to five to 12 years in state prison by Common Pleas Judge Stephen A. Corr. He must also cough up \$20,029.88 in restitution and stay far away from his victim, the victim's family, and Comic Collection, the shop he and Simpson looted on Sept. 18, 2022. Simpson’s sentencing is set for May 2, prosecutors said.
The crime was as cold-blooded as it was bizarre. Authorities say Tucker and Simpson walked into Comic Collection at 83 Bustleton Pike under the guise of being customers. When store owner David Schwartz, 61, climbed a ladder to grab an item they requested, they ambushed him, knocking him to the ground.
Surveillance footage captured Simpson, brass knuckles glinting, pummeling Schwartz while Tucker zip-tied his hands. If that wasn’t enough, they also pressed a knife to his face and threatened to kill him, investigators said.
Their loot? A laptop, the victim’s keys, cash, comic books, Pokémon cards, action figures, and other merchandise—because apparently, they fancied themselves collectors, too.
When officers arrived, Schwartz was still bound on the floor, bleeding and battered. He suffered broken teeth, broken ribs, and multiple cuts and bruises, police said.
The so-called comic book criminals almost got away—until karma (and a little forensic science) caught up. More than a year later, detectives received a tip, and DNA from discarded clothing confirmed Tucker and Simpson as the masked assailants.
Schwartz, a fixture in the Feasterville community since opening his shop in 1985, told the court the attack left him shaken to his core.
“They took the sense of security and safety away from me,” he told Judge Corr during an emotional impact statement.
The investigation was spearheaded by Detective Remo DiLello of the Lower Southampton Township Police Department, with help from Michigan’s Adrian Township Police Department and Pennsylvania State Police. First Assistant District Attorney Edward M. Louka prosecuted the case.
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