# New Powhatan Units Robbed



## hvsteve1 (Aug 16, 2007)

From the Daily Press

_JAMES CITY - James City County Police investigators have recovered 10 of the 18 televisions taken from six suites at the Powhatan Plantation resort last week, and charged seven Newport News residents in connection with the thefts.

The plasma and LCD-screen televisions were stolen from six unoccupied suites at the time-share resort off of Ironbound Road between 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 7, and 8 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 8, James City Police spokesman Mike Spearman said.

Spearman said the units had been under construction, but were nearly finished. Contractors discovered the thefts last Wednesday morning.

Investigators think the thieves made two trips to Powhatan Plantation from Newport News late Tuesday and early Wednesday to move all of the TVs.

The televisions, which range from 27-inch to 42-inch flat-screen models, have a total value of between $20,000 and $30,000, Cross said._

*This concerns me. Where was security while these guys made two trips with a truck in the middle of the night and hauled stuff out of units?*:zzz:


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## Big Matt (Aug 17, 2007)

hvsteve1 said:


> *This concerns me. Where was security while these guys made two trips with a truck in the middle of the night and hauled stuff out of units?*:zzz:




The heist was spearheaded by an employee at Powhattan Plantation.  He had full access to the units and would have been a friendly face coming and going through the guard shack.

Here is a full article from the local Williamsburg Paper, The Virginia Gazette:

JAMES CITY -- Police say a man who worked in the spa at Powhatan Plantation was the ring leader in last week's theft of 18 flatscreen televisions worth up to $30,000 from the timeshare property.

Fully seven people have been implicated in the crime so far. Four of them are in custody at the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail, and 10 of the televisions have been recovered.

The thefts took place between 11:50 p.m. on Aug. 7 and 8 a.m. the next morning. Three televisions each were taken from six units at the Ironbound Road resort.



Andre Reid, 20, Ashley Oblein, 19, and Demetrius Ammons, 21, have each been charged with six counts of grand larceny and six counts of breaking and entering. Nikitta Booker, 18, has been charged with one count of grand larceny and one count of breaking and entering.

Three other suspects: Thaddous Kelly II, 18, and twin brothers Khristopher Wright, 22, and Kenneth Wright Jr., 22, are still at large. All three are wanted on six counts of grand larceny and six counts of breaking and entering.

Police investigators said that Ammons, who was an employee at the timeshare's spa, organized the theft. All of the suspects knew each other prior to the burglary.

An investigator said that the suspects apparently made two trips to Newport News to transport the 18 televisions, which ranged in size from 27 inches to 42 inches.

Ammons was stopped by police on Route 199 near Brookwood Drive about 2:25 a.m. on Wednesday for speeding and was issued a ticket. The investigator said that was consistent with the timeframe police believe the thefts took place.

Newport News Police are credited with providing a tip that cracked the case.

During an unrelated investigation, Newport News Police spotted a flatscreen television in a Newport News home. They suspected it might be linked to the thefts in James City.

Between Friday and Monday, James City investigators recovered 10 of the 18 Panasonic and LG televisions.

Two televisions were found in a pawn shop in Newport News. Three more televisions that were sold from the pawn shop were found in two homes in York County. The remaining televisions that have been recovered were found at various locations in Newport News.

Booker was arrested on Saturday. Ammons and Oblein were arrested on Sunday. Reid turned himself in at the jail Tuesday.

The investigation continues to determine if any other suspects may have been involved in the thefts.


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## pedro47 (Aug 17, 2007)

Security was probably on duty but neglectly to check the truck for it contents (flat bed of the truck).

The robbers probably told security that were holding trash from the units to meet a deadline for resort.


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## dougp26364 (Aug 17, 2007)

Apparently, these young adults don't realize that an electronic lock will record your signature. If an employee used one of his keys to gain access, they knew who did it from the start. Not to mention that the security guard at the gate would have recorded who was coming and going at that late hour, which also would have pegged them to the time/location of the crime. As there were so many of them I wonder if they had planned on keeping and using their stolen goods for personal use rather than quickly selling them to get rid of them. They were not a very bright bunch of thieves.


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## JoeMid (Aug 17, 2007)

Why would a Spa employee have access to room keys?


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## hvsteve1 (Aug 17, 2007)

Yeah, I read that it was an employee, so he should have had no trouble going in or out. However, I still picture a truck parked outside the units with guys carrying out 41 inch TVs. I'm not so concerned about who is watching the gate as who is patrolling the grounds.


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## Big Matt (Aug 17, 2007)

I'm not an owner and have no other knowledge of what happened except for the posting I made above.  I'm from Williamsburg originally and have family there.  I get the local papers mailed to me to keep up with what's going on in my home town.

I'm curious to understand which timeshare that you've been to where anyone is "patrolling the grounds"?

I've never seen any security patrolling any grounds in my brief, but extensive five years of timesharing.



hvsteve1 said:


> Yeah, I read that it was an employee, so he should have had no trouble going in or out. However, I still picture a truck parked outside the units with guys carrying out 41 inch TVs. I'm not so concerned about who is watching the gate as who is patrolling the grounds.


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## pedro47 (Aug 18, 2007)

Greensprings Plantation security guards periodically drive around the resort policing the resort.  No foot patrol.   The only foot patrol at a t/s resort that I have seen was at the Marriott's Ocean Pointe, Palm Beach Shores, FL.


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## dougp26364 (Aug 18, 2007)

Big Matt said:


> I'm not an owner and have no other knowledge of what happened except for the posting I made above.  I'm from Williamsburg originally and have family there.  I get the local papers mailed to me to keep up with what's going on in my home town.
> 
> I'm curious to understand which timeshare that you've been to where anyone is "patrolling the grounds"?
> 
> I've never seen any security patrolling any grounds in my brief, but extensive five years of timesharing.




They tend not to be obvious but I've seen security in their carts, cars or trucks at just about every timeshare we've stayed at. It's not as if they're out there making their presence known 24/7 but they do drive the grounds and you'll see them if you're looking for them.


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## hvsteve1 (Aug 18, 2007)

I worked security many moons ago in my youth, doing both industrial and public events. I briefly ran a security service specializing in protecting construction sites. Other than routine patrols to make sure guests are not molested or their cars or units broken into, I cannot imagine a construction project of this type without _somebody_ being told to keep on eye on the place to make sure nothing (such as 41 inch flat screen tvs) "take a walk". And, in any sort of theft such as this, it is usually the current or former employees who are the first to suspect.


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