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Woman accused of stealing, then pawning ring

Brittany Smith

ADAMS TWP — Police say a cleaning lady stole and pawned one of her client’s wedding rings and may have made off with more.

Brittany M. Smith, 27, of Butler faces felony charges after allegedly pawning the ring days after three rings went missing from a township residence.

The rings are valued at $16,800, according to the police report.

Smith cleaned the house of Laura Arnold earlier this month.

Arnold reported that the rings, two wedding bands and one engagement ring, went missing after Smith cleaned her house.

Police say Smith told them she returned one of the wedding rings to Arnold, claiming to have found it in the sweeper

That band was returned to Arnold by Smith.

A few days later, police found a ring on a precious metals website which matched the description of one of the missing rings.

The ring was sold by Smith to Community Gold Buyers in the Pittsburgh Mills Mall.

The shop owner told police he still had the ring and that he paid Smith $30. He will be listed as a victim for the restitution owed.

Arnold identified the ring as hers and claimed it soon after.

She also said she has been missing a diamond necklace for about eight months. The necklace is valued at about $3,500.

Arnold said Smith had been cleaning her home since December 2015.

Smith came to the station to discuss the missing rings. She said she only found one ring in the sweeper and returned it to Arnold.

She denied seeing or ever possessing the other two rings, according to the police report.

However, after being told the other ring was allegedly pawned by her, she acknowledged it.

“She said ‘pawning is like a drug to her,’” the report states. “She denied taking the engagement ring.”

Smith faces felony charges of theft and receiving stolen property. She is in the Butler County Prison on $10,000 bail.

Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday at District Judge Wayne Seibel’s office.

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