Notorious pickpocket arrested at Drexel U.

University City's self-anointed "King of Pickpockets" has once again been caught stealing property from local students.

Ryan Elam, 33, was arrested by Philadelphia Police Southwest detectives on Dec. 11 on charges of theft, burglary, receiving stolen property and criminal trespassing.

"Ryan Elam has arrests dating back to sometime in 1998," Penn Chief of Police Tom Rambo said. "He's been arrested at various locations in Philadelphia."

Over the years, Elam has been charged with a variety of offenses, including those related to burglary, theft, fraud, trespassing and narcotics.

Yet he has become notorious for his serial thefts from Drexel University and Penn students, particularly targeting the Drexel campus.

He would typically mill around computer labs, waiting for the opportunity to rifle through a student's bag, removing wallets, pocketbooks and cash.

"He wears wired thick glasses that make him look like a fly," Southwest Detective Michael Sharkey said. "He claims he wears them to look nerdy and fit in."

Elam was imprisoned in 1998, but released last July on parole. Not much later, Penn and Drexel students started to notice that their belongings were disappearing.

"You see an increase of missing and stolen properties on campus," Sharkey said. "One guy can make stats go up."

Unfortunately for Elam, Drexel security cameras filmed him in the middle of a theft. Sharkey and Detective William Farrell immediately identified and apprehended him.

Elam has expressed an inflated opinion of his abilities. Sharkey, however, noted that Elam labeling himself "the best pickpocket in the world" was laughable, considering his multiple arrests.

Yet a canny and calculating criminal mind may actually lurk within a frame Sharkey described as "short and fat."

"He claims he reads" The Daily Pennsylvanian, Sharkey said. "He reads campus papers to see if anyone is describing him." He added that Elam said he would read the regular crime report to check if his crimes matched any of the incidents reported.

According to the police sources, Elam could be connected with several reported thefts, and even more that were unreported. Students often mistake thefts for their own carelessness.

"One of the biggest problems is that people don't know their stuff was taken," Sharkey said.

Though the detectives have already charged Elam with 28 counts of robbery, he may face many more.

Penn Police are considering him as a suspect in several offenses against members of the Penn community.

"We're investigating some thefts that he may have been involved in," Rambo said. "There is at least one that I know that Elam is being looked at for."

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