Mollette implicated in jewelry store crime
BY RACHEL DOVE
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — A string of burglaries on Fitch Branch in Inez last week yielded the arrest of an Inez man.
Justin Mollette, 33, of Inez, was arrested for third-degree burglary after turning himself in Tuesday morning at the Martin County Sheriff’s office.
Sheriff John Kirk received a report of a burglary at the home of Jeff and Tanya McGinnis on Fitch Branch. A burglar had broken into their outbuilding and taken a pressure washer, window air conditioner, shop vac, jewelry cabinet and other items.
Police recovered several pieces of the stolen merchandise from a local pawn shop, where Mollette was identified.
The deputies were then dispatched to a second location on Fitch Branch to the home of Juanita Justice, who reported the theft of a new Craftsman self-propelled mower from her outbuilding.
Justice’s friends and neighbors immediately took to social media, offering a reward for information leading to the return of Justice’s property and the arrest of the person responsible.
After a short time, a man contacted Sheriff Kirk and stated he had bought the mower from a third party and wanted to return it to the rightful owner. Kirk interviewed the individual who sold the mower to the man. That person stated he bought it from Mollette and resold it.
Officers returned the stolen mower to Justice.
When police questioned Mollette, according to the sheriff, Mollette admitted to selling the stolen merchandise.
Mollette claimed he pawned items from the McGinnis home on behalf of another person but would not divulge that person’s name.
While speaking with neighbors, the deputies became aware of another theft on Fitch Branch. The item was a window air conditioner that police later located at Mollette’s residence.
Sheriff Kirk stated that all three burglaries occurred within a one-fourth-mile radius.
Mollette may also face felony warrants out of Floyd County in connection to the May 15 burglary at Wholesale Jewelry in Prestonsburg.
On Aug. 17, police arrested Christopher Timms, 33, of Inez, on a warrant out of Floyd County for the jewelry store burglary. The warrant state that Timms and Mollette busted the glass to obtain entry into Wholesale Jewelry at approximately 2:56 a.m. May 15 and busted two glass jewelry cases to gain access to steal over $30,000 in jewelry.