Newport
Jeffery Buzzell, 41, of Claremont, who has been incarcerated since May 6, 2015, just days after the break-in, on an unrelated parole violation, and Jamie Stevens, 32, of Newport, were indicted Wednesday on charges of burglary, theft, second-degree assault and receiving stolen property. Buzzell also was indicted on one count of conspiracy to receive or possess stolen property.
The latest indictments are in addition to three indictments of Buzzell by a grand jury in June on charges of assaulting a prisoner, and of falsifying physical evidence and criminal solicitation or receiving stolen property, both of which are related to the break-in.
Buzzell’s wife, Sarah Carr, who had been charged with conspiracy to receive stolen property, pleaded guilty on Aug. 19 and was sentenced to 12 months.
A fourth person in the investigation, Sherry West, 49, of Claremont, was indicted last week on a charge of conspiracy to receive or possess stolen properties.
According to the indictments, recorded phone conversations while he was in jail allegedly show Buzzell giving Carr and West directions to the location where he hid of some of the stolen gold and silver. Both women are then alleged to have gone to the property, off Chandlers Mill Road in Newport, to search for the items.
The theft, burglary and second-degree assault charges stem from the May 2015 incident, in which Buzzell and Stevens allegedly forced Beebe into her home, tied her up in the basement, and stole jewelry, gold and silver coins and bars from a safe. Beebe, who was alone at the time, was found the next morning by contractors doing work at the house. She suffered abrasions and other injuries to her wrists, along with a loss of core temperature, the indictment states.
The investigation led to a pawn shop in New York City, where Buzzell was alleged to have been caught on tape selling some the stolen property.
Buzzell’s phone conversations with Carr and West were recorded in late March.
In mid-May, police found some of the gold and silver off Chandlers Mill Road, Sullivan County Attorney Marc Hathaway said in court at Buzzell’s arraignment in May on one of the charges of receiving stolen property.
Buzzell has a lengthy criminal record dating to 1993, including charges of simple assault, shoplifting, burglary and fugitive from justice from South Carolina, along with first-degree assault and arson charges in Vermont.
The second-degree assault charge carries a 3½- to seven-year sentence in prison, while the potential sentence for the other charges is 7½ to 15 years.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
