Two local women have been arrested in connection with a rash of home burglaries in rural Grand Forks County in November, according to the sheriff's department.
Cheryl Denise Hart, 43, of Grand Forks, and Sarah Jane Grandboise, 21, of East Grand Forks, are accused of stealing cash, jewelry and electronics, among other things, from four homes.
The sheriff's department said Hart sold some items to area pawn shops and, at one point, arouse the suspicion of employees at the north Hugo's in Grand Forks when she cashed in $600 in coins.
The pair's apparent downfall came after a homeowner in Thompson caught Hart red handed. She got away but the homeowner and his wife saw the car and later identified her in a picture lineup.
Hart is charged with a count of burglary, two counts of drug possession and two counts of drug paraphernalia possession following a search of her home. Grandboise is charged with theft.
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Burglary and theft are Class C felonies, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The drug charges are Class C felonies and misdemeanors.
Hart is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Grand Forks County District Court on Jan. 11. No court dates have been set for Grandboise.
The sheriff's department continues its investigation. There have been recent burglaries of businesses in the area, but the department doesn't believe Hart or Grandboise are involved.
Month of thievery
According to an affidavit, the sheriff's department received a report on Nov. 2 of a burglary at a Manvel, N.D., home, where jewelry, a laptop computer and a digital camera were taken. Two pieces of jewelry, allegedly pawned by Hart, were later recovered from First National Pawn in Grand Forks.
On Nov. 14, two Emerado, N.D., homeowners reported break-ins at their homes.
One reported his home had been burglarized sometime over the previous three days. Missing were liquor, DVDs and a two-foot high glass jar that contained $1,000 in change.
The other reported missing jewelry, jewelry boxes, liquor and $420 in coins. She later identified nine pieces of her jewelry at First National Pawn.
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The same day those burglaries were reported, Hart cashed in $600 in coins at Hugo's. Employees noted her identification and also the car she drove, a gold 2001 Jeep Cherokee.
On Nov. 19 and 26, Grandboise received more than $500 from First National Pawn. The sheriff's department believes it was for items from one of the Emerado burglaries.
On Nov. 23, a Thompson, N.D., man came home and found a woman he later identified as Hart leaving his home with jewelry boxes and $600 cash. The man and his wife recovered their property but Hart got away in the Jeep. The couple identified the vehicle by a distinctive crease on the driver's side.
On Nov. 29, the sheriff's department executed a search warrant at Hart's house, where they took more than 50 items into evidence, including dozens of pieces of jewelry, jewelry boxes, a number of coins and pawn shop receipts.
They also found methamphetamine and marijuana paraphernalia, less than a half ounce of marijuana, less than a half gram of meth and a yellow tablet with the words "my name is meth" on it.
Reach Bieri at (701) 780-1118; (800) 477-6572, ext. 118; or send email to cbieri@gfherald.com .
