Crime & Safety

Police: Man Tried to Intimidate, Bribe Alleged Victims

A Phoenixville man faces new charges stemming from a recent burglary arrest.

Police filed new charges against a man at a home in the 200 block of Third Avenue.

Darrin Troy Bellinger, 28, of Phoenixville, made calls from Chester County Prison in an attempt to stop two alleged victims from testifying, according to police. Bellinger remains in prison awaiting a preliminary hearing on the burglary charges, and now he faces three felony counts of witness intimidation and three misdemeanor counts of obstructing justice in addition to the charges related to the alleged burglary.

On March 16 shortly after 1 a.m., Phoenixville police responded to a home in the 200 block of Third Avenue. Upon arrival, they allegedly found Bellinger and co-defendant James “Larry” Lear, 31, of Phoenixville, around the rear of the home. An investigation revealed that Bellinger and Lear had caused problems at the home and refused to leave. They scattered beer cans, assaulted the women at the home and Bellinger punched a small dog, according to the criminal complaint for that case.

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The homeowner was asleep during the alleged incident, according to police, and the alleged victims were two other women in the home at the time. While Bellinger and Lear were in prison, the two females told police that Bellinger was trying to get them to drop the charges and to choose not to testify against him, according to the criminal complaint filed in district court.

On March 17 at approximately 8:45 p.m., the homeowner and one of the alleged victims were out to dinner when Bellinger called from prison. The phone was put on speaker so the alleged victim could hear, and Bellinger allegedly asked the woman to drop the charges. When she refused, Bellinger allegedly said “Oh [expletive] you, you’re lying.”

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A Chester County detective was able to obtain recordings of the phone conversations, and he passed them along to a sergeant with the Phoenixville Police Department. Bellinger was advised that the phone calls made from prison were being recorded, according to police.

On March 17 and 18, Bellinger allegedly made several calls to the homeowner, and he encouraged her to have the two alleged victims refrain from testifying in the case. He asked continuously for the homeowner to work on preventing the testimony, according to the criminal complaint.

During a March 18 call, Bellinger allegedly called the homeowner shortly after 7 p.m. and told her to tell the two alleged victims that he had checks for them if they refused to testify.

“Bellinger also stated, ‘Tell [the victim] I got a bean for her for the trouble and tell [the second victim] the same thing,’” according to the criminal complaint.

A bean, according to the complaint, is believed to be street slang for $100.

“Bellinger also stated that he has no problem writing a check for [the two alleged victims] not to testify,” the criminal complaint states.

The homeowner allegedly admitted to police during an interview that she had received several calls from Bellinger while he was in prison, and that he had asked her to stop the two alleged victims from testifying.

Bellinger was arraigned on the new charges on April 3 and bail was set at $75,000 cash. New charges have also been filed against Lear, but he has not yet been arraigned on those. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 5 in district court in Phoenixville. 


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