One of four charged with Franklin County historical marker thefts pleads guilty

HAMPTON — One of four people charged with stealing memorial plaques from cemeteries in Franklin County has pleaded guilty.

43-year-old Brandon Smith and 31-year-old Rachel Card of Hampton as well as 33-year-old Lauren Johnson of Dumont and 41-year-old Joshua Sellers of Manly were all charged with first-degree theft and first-degree criminal mischief after being accused of stealing bronze memorial plaques from boulders, historical sites, and veterans’ gravestones in at least six cemeteries in Franklin County.

The four are accused of etching off all of the writing and most of the distinctive features from the plaques, cutting them into pieces, and then taking them to a salvage business in Sheffield.

Smith has now entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors, pleading guilty to the charges, with prosecutors in turn recommending consecutive ten year prison sentences as well as the repayment of restitution. Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23rd.

Johnson, Card and Sellers are due to be tried on the charges on July 15th in Franklin County District Court.