Alleged silver thief nabbed Tuesday

The investigation of a check forgery in Thomas County has led to the recovery of more than $4,000 worth of stolen sterling silver from a Grady County home and the arrest of a Grady County woman.
Investigator Robert Simmons with the Grady County Sheriff’s Office says he charged Joyce Williams of Cairo on Tuesday with one count of felony theft by taking for allegedly stealing and pawning sterling silver pieces valued at more than $4,000. Williams was employed at the victim’s home as a house keeper, Lt. Simmons says.
Lt. Simmons says the stolen silver includes dinner place settings and serving pieces by Gorham in the King Edward pattern.
The investigation here started when Chief Investigator Tim Watkins with the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office was investigating the forgery of an $1,800 check, according to Lt. Simmons. When the victim in Thomas County told Watkins that the name on the check belonged to that of his house keeper, and that he had some sterling silver missing, Watkins checked with Thomasville pawn shops.
The pawned silver he found there was familiar to the victims, but did not belong to them. Instead, the victim’s wife said it belonged to her mother who lives in Grady County and employs the same house keeper.
When Watkins contacted Lt. Simmons, he checked with a Cairo pawn shop and discovered that sterling silver recently pawned here belongs to the victims in Thomas County.
Lt. Simmons says Williams also faces charges in Thomas County of felony theft by taking, felony check forgery and misdemeanor theft by deception.