| Union City jeweler issued criminal summons | | Posted: Friday, January 6, 2012 7:20 am
| A local jeweler has been charged with violating state law after police learned gold which was evidence in a burglary apparently had already been melted down.
Steve W. Emrich, 46, of 1339 Oaklawn St., Union City, was issued a criminal summons Wednesday for failure to hold and failure to record precious metals, according to a Union City Police Department report.
His arraignment was set for today.
The charges — alleged violations of Tennessee Code Annotated 38-1-202 and 203 — stemmed from an ongoing investigation by the Obion County Sheriff’s Department.
On Dec. 22, Union City police investigator Derrick O’Dell went to Steve’s Jewelers at 206 East Reelfoot Ave. in Union City to investigate in connection with a confession from Justin Wiles of Troy, one of two men arrested in December 2011 in connection with a series of home burglaries across Obion County.
According to a police report, Wiles had told authorities he sold stolen gold jewelry to Emrich, the owner of the jewelry store. Sheriff’s department investigator William Sanford, who took the confession, requested that police check into it further.
When the Union City police investigator asked Emrich about the purchase of the gold jewelry, Emrich told police he did not feel right about the purchase from Wiles, according to the report. He was asked for records of the purchase and the investigator asked to see the gold, but Emrich could not provide any of the items, saying he had already melted them down with other items.
Police reported Emrich could not provide the date the purchase occurred due to only having a check copy of the purchase with a date later found to be Dec. 13, 2011.
According to Tennessee Code Annotated, a business that buys or sells gold is required to keep that gold for 30 days. Police allege Emrich is in violation of holding gold for 30 days and not reporting purchases of precious metals as required by state law.
Emrich told police he may have seen a copy of Wiles’ driver’s license, but did not have any information about him, according to the report.
Police reported the gold allegedly melted down by Emrich was evidence in a burglary investigation by the sheriff’s department’s investigator. Published in The Messenger 1.5.12 | | | | |
