More than $100,000 in rare coins, bracelets, earrings, and other jewelry were stolen in two burglaries of Deerfield and Northampton shops last year, according to police. In connection to those thefts, Steven Skea, 64, plead not guilty at his arraignment Monday in Hampshire Superior Court. Skea is being held without bail. The South Hadley man is facing two counts of breaking and entering, two counts of larceny, and a charge of possessing a firearm without a license, according to the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office. In August, The Collector Galleries, a shop on Bridge Street, reported a break-in to police. A suspect wearing gloves was seen on surveillance footage blocking a surveillance camera with a ceiling tile. The business reported 100 pieces of jewelry and 200 piece of flatware missing, according to a police report. In late October, Whitney Hill Antiques in Deerfield reported a break-in and theft of $30,000 to $50,000 of items, including rare coins and antique jewelry, according to a police report. In November, police got a warrant to search Skea’s home. At his residence, Skea told police he sold items he stole to jewelers in Holyoke and Enfield. “Skeda then led investigators to multiple locations in the residence and the residence’s garage, and identified numerous pieces of jewelry and coins that he had stolen from both Deerfield and Northampton,” reads a police report filed in court and written by Northampton Police Department Detective Kevin Cook. Items included necklaces, pendants, rings, and coins. Skea is next due in court for a hearing in May.
South Hadley Man Charged in Connection with Thefts from Deerfield, Northampton Stores
