Pair accused of exploiting elderly woman in Towns County
Towns County Sheriff’s Office received information from a McConnell Memorial Baptist Church member that Ms. Nancy Kelly, an elderly Towns County resident, was being exploited by a handy man, Christopher James Plush and his accomplice, Devin Barry Lowery.
Sheriff’s Office Investigators opened a criminal investigation and found there were missing prescription drugs, a handgun, several hundred rare coins and a large amount of cash. Her vehicle was also stolen, wrecked and damaged.
Sheriff’s Investigators worked around the clock to locate the suspects and arrest them. They also worked very quickly to recover cash, the handgun, prescription drugs and hundreds of the rare coins with an estimated value in the thousands.
The victim and her husband, who is deceased, had collected valuable rare coins for years. One rare coin has an estimated value of $23,000. There is no way to estimate the value of the coins without an expert.
Sheriff Ken Henderson stated that elderly citizens are easy targets for fraud and theft. Sheriff Henderson wants to thank the concerned citizen for the information that led to the investigation and arrests in this matter. The quick work in locating the suspect and his accomplice led to the recovery of stolen property, which will be returned to the victim.
Christopher James Plush, age 30, Homeless, was arrested and charged with one (1) count of burglary and three (3) counts of theft by taking.
Plush’s accomplice, Devin Barry Lowery, age 24, of Ducktown, TN was also arrested and charged with one (1) count of burglary and one (1) count of theft by taking.
When hiring a handyman, it is best to know the individual and ask for references.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.