Park City police rounding up suspects in jewelry heist; $50K in jewelry still missing - Deseret News
Park City police rounding up suspects in jewelry heist; $50K in jewelry still missing - Deseret News
PARK CITY — Park City police say they have arrested or issued arrest warrants for seven people in connection with a brazen jewelry theft on historic Main Street three months ago.
On April 27, a person or several people smashed the window of Park City Jewelers, 430 Main, and grabbed approximately $83,000 worth of jewels, according to police. Just before the burglary, police received another 911 call that they believe was meant to divert the attention of officers.
Video surveillance shows one burglar was wearing all black, including a black hood that covered the face and head. "The individual pulls a hammer out of a bag and strikes the store window three times until the window breaks. The individual reached in the store through the broken window and is seen placing multiple items inside a bag," police wrote in a search warrant affidavit.
As of Friday, approximately $31,000 worth of jewelry had been recovered.
The seven who have been charged so far are accused of buying or selling the stolen jewelry. No one has been charged yet with committing the burglary.
• Police believe Trina Sosa, 33, of Ogden, is the person who made the 911 call to divert officers. Over the course of the investigation, police have "interviewed multiple individuals who were found in possession of jewelry that was identified as belonging to Park City Jewelers. During these interviews, each person independently identified Sosa as the supplier of jewelry," the affidavit states.
Sosa was charged in 2nd District Court last week with theft by receiving stolen property, a second-degree felony.
• Roberto Balli, 51, of Ogden, was charged with theft by receiving stolen property, a third-degree felony.
On May 1, Sosa "showed Balli a handful of jewelry with price tags still attached," according to charging documents. "Sosa offered to sell the expensive jewelry to Balli at a lowball price. Sosa told Balli the jewelry was not stolen. Sosa told Balli she needed to make the sale to feed her children."
Balli then tried to sell a ring he purchased from Sosa at a pawn shop, the charges state. The pawn shop recognized the ring as stolen.
Sosa also allegedly sold jewelry to Bryce Talbot and Jessica Jensen. Talbot and Jensen then tried to sell the jewelry they purchased from Sosa to a pawn shop even though they knew it was stolen, according to court documents.
• Talbot, 32, of Clinton, was charged last week with theft by receiving stolen property, a second-degree felony, plus theft by deception and forgery, third-degree felonies.
• Jensen, 28, of Ogden, was charged June 28 with theft by receiving stolen property, a second-degree felony, and theft by deception, a class B misdemeanor.
• Russell James Bogar Miller, 29, of Ogden, was charged June 14 in connection with the jewelry heist. He was convicted on July 9 of forgery, a third-degree felony, and identity fraud, a class A misdemeanor, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 20. Miller admitted to trying to sell some of the stolen jewelry to a pawn shop, according to charging documents.
• Michael Dameon Thorpe, 32, of Roy, was charged June 28 with theft by receiving stolen property, a second-degree felony.
• Keira Baldwin, 33, of North Ogden, was charged May 31 with theft by receiving stolen property, a second-degree felony. Baldwin was arrested after trying to sell one of the rings stolen from Park City to undercover officers on KSL.com, according to charging documents. Baldwin allegedly said she bought the ring from someone else.
Comment on this story"Sosa bragged about how she and (her boyfriend) burglarized (the store) and stole the jewelry," the charges state. "Sosa was the alleged getaway driver and (the boyfriend) was the alleged burglar."
As of Friday, no charges have not been filed against the boyfriend.
Police have announced a $3,500 reward for information leading to additional arrests, and a second reward "for 10% of the recovered value of any of the stolen jewelry." The rewards are being offered by a private entity and not the police department.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 435-615-5847.
