Marblehead burglary suspect held on $50G

SALEM – A Marblehead felon who police allegedly caught using credit cards stolen from homes in Marblehead and Swampscott is being held on a high bail of $50,000 cash after pleading innocent.Michael Cotgageorge, 43, of 8 Lorraine Terrace, Marblehead, appeared Monday morning in Salem Superior Court for his arraignment, pleading innocent to three counts of receiving stolen property, two counts of being a habitual criminal and a count of receiving stolen property before Judge John T. Lu.Assistant District Attorney Jessica M. Strasnick argued for the high bail, telling Lu that Cotgageorge was seen on a store video using a stolen credit card just four hours after a housebreak in Swampscott on Dec. 16 on Nason Road. The occupants were at home asleep at the time of the break-ins in which a laptop computer, Xbox game system and a pocketbook containing credit cards were reported stolen.The rebate card from Verizon was reportedly used at a local liquor store, which was captured on the store video camera.Swampscott police working together with Marblehead police also found another video of the suspect using another stolen credit card from a break-in of a Marblehead home.”He has spent the last 26 years stealing from people,” Strasnick emphasized.Strasnick also pointed out to Lu that in 2002 Cotgageorge spent five years in state prison for charges from a 1999 case and was a fugitive at one point in that case living in Seattle, when he was brought back to face the charges, she said.But defense lawyer Philip J. LaMonica, who asked for $2,500 cash bail and a GPS monitoring system, maintained that would be enough to ensure his client’s presence in court.He said Cotgageorge has ties to the community, has a son who lives with him and owns several properties with his sister in Marblehead.