Man accused of stealing cemetery urns pleads guilty to 2 felonies

MADISON (Scrap Monster): A Meridian man pled guilty to two felony grand larceny charges for theft of flower vases from a cemetery in a plea agreement after a grand jury indictment.

The Lauderdale District Attorney's office disposed of the remaining 12 grand larceny charges against Robert Eugene Davis, 55, of Meridian, as a part of the agreement, according to Lauderdale County Sheriff Billy Sollie.

Authorities, last March, accused and charged Davis, of 7628 Pine Springs Road, of stealing flower vases from the Meridian Memorial Park Cemetery, on Old Highway 80, in September 2015.

Scotty's Recycling in Philadelphia directed authorities to Davis after he attempted to sell the stolen urns to Scotty's as scrap metal. The vases, typically molded in a bronze alloy, have salvage value as scrap metal.

Of the 86 urns reported missing, only 14 qualified for the state minimum value for a felony. The remaining 72 missing urns will be misdemeanor petit larceny charges, which will be processed by a county attorney, Sollie said.

Previously, Kemper County processed Davis on different charges, housing him in the Kemper County Jail. The Mississippi Department of Corrections now has Davis in custody, Sollie said.

The Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office will continue to work with the Mississippi Department of Corrections and Secretary of State to process Davis, Sollie said.

A temporary date has been scheduled for October in the Lauderdale County Justice Court, Sollie said.

Courtesy: www.meridianstar.com