A Washington Township man known for flying his flags upside down had his stars and stripes stolen on Independence Day, police said.

Township police Chief Daniel Cotturo said thieves stole four flags from the pole on Joseph Yamrus' front lawn.

The flags were flying upside down when they were stolen, Cotturo said. The thefts happened sometime 2:30 and 7 a.m. at Yamrus' home in the 100 block of Molasses Road.

Cotturo said thieves cut the line on the pole to remove the flags. He said, to his knowledge, Yamrus has not recovered his flags. But Yamrus made it clear he wants to catch whoever is responsible. He is offering a $500 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the thief.

Yamrus made headlines last year when he filed a civil suit against the township after they cited him for flying his flags upside down. Yamrus, who is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania and a Philadelphia law firm, claims his first amendment rights were violated.

The suit was filed after he was cited in 2007 for insults to national or commonwealth flags, police said. An Army veteran, Yamrus began his flag flying habit in protest of the role some members of Congress have played in the nation's Middle East policy.

A passerby was offended by the display and reported it to township police. Police asked Yamrus to either turn the flag right side up or take it down. He did neither and was cited. The case, which is in federal court, is still pending, court records say.