Note to thieves: Think about what you steal

The threat of terrorism has forced most of us to change our routines, whether we're entering a public building, boarding a commercial flight or attending a professional football game.

Now add thieves to the list of people who should consider adjusting their work practices to cope with the war on terror.

Consider the cases of Stephan Williams and John Ploucher, two men from Bridesburg in Northeast Philadelphia accused of stealing propane gas canisters – 30 to 40 of them – in December from two Northeast industrial properties.

Time was when this kind of crime -- industrial theft -- would have seen Williams and Ploucher released pending trial on nominal or no bail.

Not anymore.

When police began investigating the theft of the metal canisters filled with explosive gas, officers contacted the department's own Homeland Security Unit, which investigates local crimes with a potential link to terrorism and is the local liaison to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

And prosecutors developed a heightened interest in Williams and Ploucher, who both live in the same block of Richmond Street. Ploucher, 38, was ordered held on $200,000 bail on charges of burglary, conspiracy and theft-related crimes. Williams, 49, was held on $100,000. Either amount was way beyond the means of two men who police now believe were neighborhood scrap-metal collectors.

Both men were in court Thursday for a preliminary hearing before Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge Henry Lewandowski 3d. The hearing didn't happen because of a new complication in Williams' life.

Defense lawyer Andrew Alston asked Lewandowski to reduce Williams' bail, saying the father of two collapsed after his first court appearance on Jan. 14 and had to be rushed by sheriff's deputies to Temple University Hospital. There, doctors said Williams has cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer, and recommended he return in a week for more comprehensive diagnostic tests and a treatment plan, Alston said.

That week expired Thursday. Alston told the judge that the Philadelphia prison system health facilities don't treat cancer and without lowering Williams' bail, and getting him immediate treatment, "he'll die."

Assistant District Attorney Kathryn Young Galla objected to lower bail and Lewandowski said the letter Alston submitted from Temple hospital physicians seemed less-than-definitive. Lewandowski's solution was to order city prison officials to return Williams to Temple – under guard -- for the tests he needs and then revisit the bail question when the judge gets a full medical report.

Alston would not comment after the hearing.

As for the initial suspicion that Williams and Ploucher might be involved in terrorism -- authorities first called it "an abundance of caution" -- police seem to have discounted it.

Young Galla declined to comment because the case against the two was still open.

Lewandowski rescheduled the pair's preliminary hearing on March 1.