Whitley Deputies arrest two people in connection with jewelry theft ring

 Whitley County Sheriff’s deputies think they have solved a multi-county burglary ring that has been operating for more than two months, and have recovered or identified about $30,000 worth of stolen jewelry and precious metals.

Sheriff Colan Harrell said that the ring involved Whitley, Laurel, Knox and Clark counties and consisted of over 20 residential burglaries since September.

In all over $100,000 worth of jewelry, gold or cash is believed to have been taken. In two homes alone in Whitley County, a total of nearly $40,000 was taken, he said.

Lt. Detective Bill Riley arrested Timothy E. Taylor, 32, of Bray’s Chapel Road in Corbin, on Nov. 2 charging him with seven counts of receiving stolen property under $10,000.

According to a sheriff’s department press release, he allegedly sold stolen property to seven different pawn shops.

Riley also charged Larry B. Shelton, 28, of Grove Road, Williamsburg, with three counts of receiving stolen property under $10,000.

According to his arrest warrant, on Nov .2, he allegedly possessed and sold stolen jewelry, which he acquired in Whitley County.

He allegedly sold a portion of it to a pawn shop in Williamsburg on Sept. 16, sold a portion of it to a pawn shop in Knoxville on Oct. 3, and sold a portion of it to a pawn shop in London on Oct. 26, according to his arrest warrant.

Police believe that at least two to three additional suspects may have been involved in the theft ring, and more arrests are likely. Charges may also be filed in other jurisdictions.

Harrell said investigators determined what kind of vehicles that the suspects were driving, and whom the vehicles belonged to, which lead to the identity of the suspects.

Authorities then checked area pawn shop records and discovered that the pawn shops were receiving large quantities of jewelry and scrap gold from individuals, who happened to be the suspects.

A joint investigation is currently underway with the Laurel County, Jackson County, Clark County and Knox County Sheriff’s Department in addition to the Kentucky State Police in London.

At least four burglaries have been reported in Clark County with similar motives of operation, six to eight cases in Laurel County, five to six in Whitley County, four to five cases in Knox County and four to six cases are possible cases in Jackson County.

Most of the cases involved the suspects driving up to a home during the middle of the day, and knocking on the door. If no one answered, they kicked in the door, and bypassed electronics and other items stealing cash, jewelry and gold, which was stuffed in pillow cases, Harrell said.

The criminal spent five minutes at most inside the burglarized homes.

The jewelry and gold was then taken to pawn shops that collect scrap gold and stores that buy gold.

In Kentucky, the stores aren’t required to keep the jewelry or gold for any length of time before it is melted down, but Tennessee requires a waiting period before the items can be sold or melted.

"It’s a hit, smash and grab, then they are gone," Harrell said. "If they are lucky, they get it to the pawn shop, it gets sold and melted down. Then all the evidence is gone, and nobody can recover anything."

This lead to the recovery of about $30,000 worth of Whitley County stolen property from Tennessee pawn shops, Harrell said.

Another Whitley County victim, who had about $18,000 worth of items stolen, was in Tennessee Thursday looking at items in a pawn shop. She is in the process of recovering the stolen items with the assistance Tennessee authorities, Harrell said.

Other jewelry has been identified, but was already been melted down or is still being held in Tennessee.

Police are still going through case reports trying to identify all the stolen items.

"It adds up fast. It doesn’t cost the thieves anything to get. Then when they sell it, they are making 100 percent profit," Harrell said. "With gold at well over $700 per ounce, there is a lot of profit."

The arrests were the result of a joint investigation by the following agencies: Corbin Police Department, Williamsburg Police Department, Laurel County Sheriff’s Office, Kentucky State Police, Knox County Sheriff’s Department and Clark County Sheriff’s Office.