Carey Street Man Charged Again in Larceny Case

A Southington man already facing charges in the theft of $85,000 from an elderly resident is in trouble again, this time after police said he attempted to steal a leaf blower from a neighbor and sell it at a local pawnshop.

Paul Clements Jr., 21, of 43 Carey St., is facing charges of sixth-degree larceny stemming from the theft of the leaf blower. He was booked and released after posting a $1,500 bond.

“Clements had been known to police already because of previous cases and an investigation found he had taken a leaf blower from a neighbor's garage, then sold it to Brookside Pawn for $75,” said Southington Police Sgt. Lowell DePalma. “Neighbors decided not to press charges, or he could be facing burglary as well.”

Brookside Pawn, which suffered losses when the leaf blower was seized, did press charges however, leading to Clements' arrest, according to DePalma.

This is the third arrest in nine months for Clements, who is also facing charges stemming from the theft of $85,000 from an elderly Southington resident last year.

Police said Clements and James Mongillo, 22, now in custody at the Hartford Correctional Center, broke into the 83-year-old Carey Street resident’s home and stole checks. The two eventually cashed 42 checks in all, police said.

Clements is facing charges of third-degree burglary, first-degree larceny and 42 counts of second-degree forgery in the case.

Clements was a 2007 Southington High School graduate and is known for his role as quarterback of the Blue Knights 2006 football team, which went to the state finals before losing to Greenwich High School.

He is due in Bristol Superior Court next week for arraignment for the leaf blower theft on June 6.