Teens get caught in pawn shop after theft
By Nick Hiltunen
Published in News on January 20, 2008 12:31 PM
Three Mount Olive and Grantham teenagers accused of a break-in made things easy on a Wayne County Sheriff's Office detective, authorities say.
How? By trying to sell off their ill-gotten goods at a local business while Detective Rick Farfour stood inside, Capt. Tom Effler said.
Darren Pope, 18, of Tram Road, Jared Bryan Jackson, 18, of O'Berry Road, and Steven Carlton, 16, of McArthur Pond, Grantham, each face one felony count of breaking and entering, larceny after breaking or entering and possession of stolen goods.
Farfour got a call from one man who reportedly refused to buy jewelry from the suspects, authorities said.
The detective then began checking other businesses where the suspects might try to sell their stolen bounty, authorities said.
A short time later, around 1:10 p.m., Farfour found the suspects he was looking for, the captain said.
"(Farfour) was actually in the store, trying to get information," Effler said. "(Pope, Jackson and Carlton) were going to try to sell jewelry to the man, and Farfour knew what he was looking for."
The suspects' mistake led to their arrests a mere two hours after the burglary victim reported the theft to authorities, the Sheriff's Office captain said.
Robert Grantham of Dobbersville Road reported that $20,000 worth of jewelry and electronics had been stolen from his home, Effler said.
According to state law, breaking and entering with the intent to steal or commit another felony is punishable by a minimum five months of incarceration.
The Sheriff's Office recovered the majority of Grantham's stolen property, Effler said, and investigation continues as Farfour and others seek the remainder of the goods.