Man accused of stealing memorial plaques from several area cemeteries enters into plea agreement

HAMPTON — On the day his trial was scheduled to start in Franklin County District Court, one of four people arrested in connection to thefts of memorial plaques from cemeteries throughout the area is entering into a plea agreement.

41-year-old Joshua Sellers of Manly and three others are accused of taking markers from multiple rural and city cemeteries in Franklin, Butler, Cerro Gordo, and Floyd counties, etching off all the markings, and then cutting them into pieces so they could be taken to a salvage business.

Sellers, 43-year-old Brandon Smith of Hampton, 33-year-old Lauren Johnson of Dumont, and 31-year-old Rachel Card of Hampton were all charged with first-degree theft and first-degree criminal mischief, Class C felonies punishable by up to ten years in prison.

Sellers had elected to waive his right to a jury trial and proceed with a bench trial starting on Tuesday, but District Judge DeDra Schroeder on Tuesday approved a motion from prosecutors to amend the first-degree theft charge to possession of stolen property, an aggravated misdemeanor, with the criminal mischief charge being dismissed. A copy of a plea agreement has not been published in court records.

Johnson and Card are scheduled to have their trials start on December 2nd. Smith entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors in June, pleading guilty to the charges and being sentenced to a total of 20 years in prison.