MAN DEALT STOLEN JEWELRY AT PAWN SHOP

A PORT CHARLOTTE MAN WAS ARRESTED TUESDAY AFTER A CHECK ON AREA PAWN SHOPS SHOWED HE MADE MORE THAN 20 TRANSACTIONS RECENTLY.  PUNTA GORDA POLICE SAY THEY WERE SEARCHING FOR THE TOP FREQUENT PAWNERS IN THE COUNTY IN AN UNRELATED INVESTIGATION WHEN THEY FOUND OUT THAT 37 YEAR OLD ERIC SCULLY SOLD JEWELRY THAT HE STOLE FROM AN ELDERLY WOMAN.  POLICE RECENTLY HAD CONTACT WITH SCULLY IN REFERENCE TO A BURGLARY OF AN ELDERLY WOMAN’S HOME, AND A DETECTIVE LEARNED HE HAD SOLD A GOLD CHARM BRACELET AND A GOLD NECKLACE THAT WERE STOLEN FROM THE ELDERLY VICTIM’S HOME.  VALUE OF THE TWO ITEMS WAS REPORTEDLY $5400.  SCULLY REPORTEDLY ADMITTED TO TAKING THE ITEMS DURING QUESTIONING, AS A WOMAN KNOWN TO SCULLY WAS WATCHING THE VICTIM’S HOME AT THE TIME AS A FAVOR TO THE VICTIM AND HAD ASKED SCULLY TO HELP HER.  SCULLY WAS CHARGED WITH TWO COUNTS EACH OF GRAND THEFT FROM A PERSON 65 OR OLDER, DEALING IN STOLEN PROPERTY, AND GIVING FALSE VERIFICATION OF OWNERSHIP TO A PAWNBROKER.  HE WAS RELEASED AFTER POSTING A $5000 BOND YESTERDAY.