VERMILION — A Cleveland man with a history of fencing stolen merchandise to Cleveland-area gas stations faces multiple charges including trafficking in heroin after he was arrested for shoplifting at a local drug store.

Daniel J. Allen, 39, remained in Erie County Jail on $100,000 bond following his arraignment today in Vermilion Municipal Court. Allen is charged with theft, possession drug abuse instruments, identity fraud, possessing criminal tools, possession of drugs, trafficking in heroin and drug paraphernalia, according to police.

Richard A. Price Jr., 20, also of Cleveland, was charged with theft. Police said Price drove Allen to Vermilion, where Allen stole more than $400 in merchandise from the Rite Aid on Liberty Avenue shortly before 1:30 p.m. Monday.

Working off a description of the suspects and the car they fled the store in, police stopped and arrested the two men minutes after the incident.

“They had just turned off Main Street and were going to get on Route 60,” Vermilion Police Sgt. Chris Hartung said.

Police found a large silver-colored insulated cooler bag in the vehicle. The bag was stuffed with merchandise from the Rite Air, including from 15 boxes of antacid medication, disposable razors and other items.

“He’d (Allen) steal stuff like this and take it to Cleveland-area gas stations where he’d sell it to them at less than wholesale prices,” Hartung said. “Owners would pay him $4 a box instead of $8. They definitely knew all this stuff was stolen.”

Allen told police he’d been reselling stolen merchandise for some time.

“He gave us the whole story,” Hartung said. “He said he targeted specific items that did not have those little tags that would be detected (by store security alarms).”

The drug charges filed against Allen stemmed from items found in a jacket and empty cigarette package he had with him when arrested, Hartung said.

The items included 10 doses of suspected heroin, two hypodermic needles and a spoon. The trafficking charge came with a school specification because Allen was within 1,000 feet of a school when he was arrested, police said.

Allen was found to be wanted on a number of outstanding drug-related warrants from Stark County, Hartung said.

When he was first questioned by Vermilion police, Allen gave officers identification that turned out to belong to a deceased Cleveland man.

“The two of them looked similar,” Hartung said. “It turned out this guy (Allen) had 42 aliases.”

Both men entered not guilty pleas at their arraignments Tuesday in Vermilion Municipal Court. Preliminary hearings are scheduled for Allen and Price in March, according to Hartung.

Contact Steve Fogarty at 329-7146 or sfogarty@chroniclet.com.