Hampton man sentenced to 20 years in prison for stealing memorial plaques from cemeteries
HAMPTON — It’s 20 years in prison for one of four people charged with stealing memorial plaques from cemeteries in Franklin County.
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 pleaded guilty to the charges in late May as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, with prosecutors in turn recommending consecutive ten-year prison sentences as well as the repayment of restitution. District Judge Chris Foy accepted that recommendation during a sentencing hearing on Monday in Franklin County District Court.
Johnson, Card and Sellers are due to be tried on the charges on July 15th in Franklin County District Court.
