Police recover $104,000 in missing jewelry

The Longboat Key Police Department helped arrest two Sarasota suspects who allegedly confessed to stealing $152,000 worth of jewelry from a Country Club Shores home.

Police Chief Pete Cumming issued a news release May 21 announcing the arrests of William Kenneth Dickey Jr., 37, and Priscilla Zamora, 30, both of Sarasota.

Police say both suspects stole multiple pieces of jewelry from a home in the 700 block of Putter Lane since February. 

On May 15, police got a call from the homeowner, reporting that she noticed $400 missing from her wallet and a few pieces of her jewelry missing. The woman reported that several service workers have access to her home who could be suspects. 

After further investigation, the homeowner reported that $100,000 worth of jewelry was missing from her home.

Police Detective Sgt. Robert Bourque and officers obtained the names of service workers and started checking pawn shops in Sarasota. The homeowner also had photos of the jewelry available for police to help identify the pieces.

“We immediately started finding items (in pawn shops),” Bourque said. 

The individual who matched  pawn shop records as the seller of the jewelry was Dickey, a lawn worker with Abel Lawn Service who also performed odd jobs around the property and had access to the home. Police determined Dickey had been selling jewelry from the home since February. 

Bourque discovered Dickey was on probation and called his probation officer, who identified Dickey’s girlfriend and provided her address to police. Bourque searched that name to discover several pieces of the homeowner’s jewelry were also sold to pawn shops by Zamora. 

Bourque and the Sarasota Police Department obtained arrest warrants for Dickey and Zamora, and both suspects were arrested May 21.

“We coordinated with Dickey’s probation officer to have him come to the Sarasota Police Department for a drug test, and he was arrested,” Bourque said. “Then we had Dickey call his girlfriend to come pick up his belongings and arrested her as well.”

Bourque said Dickey confessed to half of the crimes committed, and Zamora confessed to pawning jewelry in her name. 

Dickey was charged with grand theft, dealing in stolen property, defrauding a pawn broker and multiple counts of violating probation. Bourque said additional charges of defrauding a pawn broker and dealing in stolen property are likely.

Zamora was charged with dealing in stolen property and defrauding a pawn broker. Both suspects remain in the Sarasota County Jail.

Bourque said police have recovered $104,000 of the homeowner’s missing jewelry so far. The likelihood of recovering much more of the jewelry is unlikely. 

“It appears what’s still out there was melted down and sold already,” Bourque said. “That can’t be recovered.”

The most expensive pieces police recovered include a diamond ring valued at more than $57,000 and another ring valued at $27,000.

“We found things at pawn shops that the homeowner didn’t even know was missing,” Bourque said. “We’re proud we were able to get back what we did, and we just wish we could get it all back.”

“We’re proud we were able to get back what we did, and we just wish we could get it all back.”

— Police Detective Sgt. Robert Bourque