Owners sought for jewelry seized from Franklin store

Published 10:48 am Saturday, August 6, 2011

FRANKLIN—Becky Gwaltney looked over 400 to 500 pieces of jewelry Friday, hoping to find some of the jewelry stolen from her Windsor home during a March 25 break-in.

Becky Gwaltney and her daughter, Brett, of Windsor look over jewelry seized from a Franklin pawn shop. Becky Gwaltney was hoping to find jewelry stolen from her home in March. — GWEN ALBERS | TIDEWATER NEWS

She went home with nothing.

“I was hopeful,” Gwaltney said. “I’ve kind been told it went to a Newport News pawn shop.”

Franklin police for six hours Friday displayed the jewelry at Paul D. Camp Community College’s Regional Workforce Development Center seized in April from a downtown pawn shop. People could claim their jewelry taken from Liberty Coin by providing a police report, sales receipt or paperwork with descriptions of the items.

Franklin burglary suspects Charles Cary, 21, of Pearl Street and Christopher Artis, 18, of South Street were allegedly caught on videotape selling items to Liberty Coin, said Cpl. J.B. Butts. They also admitted to selling the items to the pawn shop, Butts said. Police followed with a search of the business.

Butts estimated that all of the jewelry on display was valued at $10,000. Among pieces were 115 rings, of which one-quarter to a one-half were diamond rings.

By mid-afternoon, a woman from Richmond had found three rings and a bracelet stolen from her late mother’s Carrsville-area home in 2005, Butts said. A Franklin woman also found some diamond and gold rope earrings.

Dorothy Gibson found three diamond rings she believed could be hers, including one she received from her late husband for their 50th wedding anniversary. She, however, did not have the paperwork to verify it.

Butts told Gibson she would need proof of insurance, a receipt or police report with a detailed description of her rings before claiming them.

“A picture of you wearing it (would work),” Butts told her.

Sheila Cutrell took the day off from her job as finance director for the City of Emporia in hopes of finding jewelry she believes was stolen three years ago by contractors working at her Lawrenceville home.

“I don’t see them,” the 47-year-old said while looking over a tray of jewelry.