CONNOQUENESSING TWP — A Butler man is accused of stealing $26,000 worth of gold coins from a woman who had hired him to do work around her house in the township, state police said.

The suspected thief, 49-year-old Daniel K. Locke, and two other Butler County men face hearings later this month on felony theft and other charges in the case.

Jailed with Locke in the Butler County Prison on $30,000 bail each are Shane M. Caldwell, 27, of Butler and Michael J. Grey, 33, of Prospect.

The alleged victim, Judith Lyons, on Nov. 7 contacted police after discovering that she was missing 20 Gold Eagle one-ounce coins that she kept in a container at her home, according to court documents.

She said the coins were appraised at $1,300 each.

Lyons identified Locke as a suspect, investigators said. She noted that he had been helping around her home for several months, and had access to the coins between Oct. 1 and Nov. 7, when police believe they were taken.

Some of the coins later turned up at gold stores in Butler and Center townships.

Police said they also learned that Locke had allegedly sold four of the coins to the owner of a convenience store in Butler.

Troopers on Friday interviewed Locke, who admitted taking the coins from Lyons’ house, documents said. He claimed Caldwell and Grey, his alleged accomplices, had also taken coins from the home.

All three suspects acknowledged selling one or more of the coins, police said.

Caldwell, during an interview, told investigators that at one point he set up a meeting between Locke and another man, who eventually bought 16 coins, documents said.

Police tracked down that man, who is not charged, He said he met with Locke in late October at the suspect’s home and paid him $12,000 for the coins.

All three defendants are charged with felony counts of theft and receiving stolen property, as well as conspiracy to commit each of those crimes.

Preliminary hearings for the trio are set for Nov. 26 at the office of District Judge Wayne Seibel in Evans City.