Two people in Northumberland County are accused of stealing more than $12,000 worth of jewelry from a couple and then selling it.
They were caught after police said a local coin shop owner noticed one of the rings belonged to a former fire chief in Shamokin.
That coin shop owner said the suspects sold him jewelry at least three times in April and May.
When the shop owner noticed familiar initials engraved on one of the rings he called the former Shamokin fire chief who had no idea the ring was missing.
Richard Wright owns Ye Old Coin Shop in Shamokin. He gets around 50 customers a day looking to buy or sell coins and jewelry.
Wright said Carrie Phillips and Colin Parsons recently came into his shop.
"And they sold us a couple of things. They didn't seem suspicious. They came back a couple more times with some coin sets," Wright said.
According to court papers, those items were stolen from the home of Shamokin councilman and former fire chief Craig Rhoades. Police said Rhoades and his wife were on vacation and had a family friend check on things in the house.
That friend's daughter is Carrie Phillips. Police said Phillips and her boyfriend, Colin Parsons, stole more than $12,000 worth of jewelry from the Rhoades' home and sold it at the coin shop.
Wright is required by law to weigh and inspect everything that is brought into his store. While checking out one of the rings he noticed Rhoades' initials on it.
"And it dawned on me that it was part of one of the local fire departments and I knew the initials on it. The person was already out the door and there was nothing I could do," Wright added.
He said he called the former fire chief who came to his store and identified the ring as his. He said Rhoades also picked out coins, a diamond ring and other jewelry that had been stolen from his home. Wright said this is not the first time people have brought him stolen items.
"Four or five times approximately we've actually been able to get the stuff back to the person it was stolen from," Wright said.
Phillips and Parsons were arrested and taken to the Northumberland County jail. Phillips is out on bail. The two are due back in court next week.