A man who allegedly left the country by paddling a kayak across a river into Canada was found guilty March 12 of third-degree bail jumping charges.
Steven Pieczynski, formerly of West Amwell Township, pleaded guilty to burglary and theft in 2012 and fled, according to prosecutors.
Mr. Pieczynski, who was 37 years old in 2012 when he fled sentencing, entered Canada illegally on Sept. 29, 2012, using a kayak launched from Lewiston, New York, on the Lower Niagara River. Once in Canada, he made his way to the Toronto area.
Detectives eventually tracked down Mr. Pieczynski. On Oct. 23, 2012, members of the Toronto Police Service Fugitive Squad, the Integrated Border Enforcement Team, the Ontario Provincial Police and the Canada Border Services Agency arrested Mr. Pieczynski at the home of a woman he met on the Internet. He was extradited back to the United States.
Upon his return to Hunterdon County, Mr. Pieczynski pleaded not guilty to the bail-jumping charge and faced a trial by jury in Superior Court. On March 12, the jury returned a guilty verdict. Mr. Pieczynski faces up to five years in state prison at sentencing.
He also still faces sentencing on the original burglary and theft conviction, for which he was arrested Oct. 20, 2011. Police in Newtown, Pennsylvania, suspected Mr. Pieczynski in a burglary after the victims posted their vacation plans on Facebook.
Mr. Pieczynski was Facebook “friends” with the victims and neighbors saw his vehicle near the victim’s residence on the evening of the burglary, police said.
Detectives arrested him after finding proceeds from the burglary in his residence when they executed a search warrant. More items discovered in the residence at the same time led detectives to more victims and resulted in added burglary charges for Mr. Pieczynski.
The additional burglaries occurred when Mr. Pieczynski targeted his neighbors during the power outages following Hurricane Irene, police said.
Anonymous tips to law enforcement can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-321-0010 or by going to www.crimestoppershunterdon.com, or text messaging “HCTIPS” plus your tip message to 274637 (CRIMES). Tipsters can also download the free mobile app “Tipsubmit” and select Hunterdon County to submit anonymous tips via text messaging. All tips are anonymous and kept confidential.

