MARION, N.C.,None — Three more people face charges after authorities say they assisted a man and his ex-girlfriend who are accused of stealing a safe and its $87,700 worth of contents.
Detective Andy Manis of the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office charged 30-year-old Samantha Marston Johnson and 44-year-old Tony Dewayne Johnson, both of Looking Glass Drive in Marion, with felony larceny, felony breaking and entering, felony conspiracy and felony safecracking. Both were released from custody on written promises to appear in court.
Manis also charged Kristopher James Newman, 28, of Tulip Drive in Marion with felony larceny after breaking and entering and accessory after the fact of a felony. He was also released from custody on a written promise to appear in court.
Anthony Harold Lowery reported on Dec. 20 that someone entered his residence on Hidden View Loop in Marion and removed a safe from a closet in his home. The cash, stocks and savings bonds and jewelry inside the safe were valued at $87,700.
Last month, Manis charged Robert Hezekiah “Bobby” Patton, 23, of Tulip Drive in Marion and Amber Nicole Black, 20, of Muddy Creek Road in Nebo. The detective stated that the two suspects once dated, and Black is Lowery’s current girlfriend.
The detective added that Black knew where the safe was located, and she made Patton aware of when he could get inside the residence to steal it, according to Manis.
Since that time, Manis stated, he has learned that Tony Johnson went with Patton to a hardware store to purchase safecracking tools and also helped Patton break into the safe. He added that Samantha Johnson drove the two men to the house.
Newman, Manis stated, was paid to take Patton to dump the safe after it had been broken into and the contents removed.