Last of jewelry store ‘ring of serial thieves’ pleads guilty

Michele G. Gue and Kevin J. Ashley. MIAMI COUNTY JAIL/CONTRIBUTED.

Michele G. Gue and Kevin J. Ashley. MIAMI COUNTY JAIL/CONTRIBUTED.

The final defendant in what Miami County Prosecutor Tony Kendell called “a ring of serial thieves” that hit jewelry stores and other businesses in 2017 and 2018 pleaded guilty April 15 to eight felony charges while another 10 charges were dismissed.

Kevin Ashley, 47, of Dayton made the plea as part of a plea deal in county Common Pleas Court. He will be ordered at sentencing to pay more than $150,000 restitution, including $147,556 to Kay Jewelers in East Liverpool, Ohio, and $3,012 to Check into Cash in Troy, Judge Stacy Wall said.

A prison term of 5.5 years was recommended by prosecutors. The judge does not have to follow that recommendation. Ashley will be sentenced June 2 by Wall. He remains jailed on the charges.

Ashley pleaded to breaking and entering, safe cracking, grand theft, receiving stolen property and possessing a weapon while under a disability imposed by a previous criminal charge.

Miami County prosecutors said the crime targets included several jewelry stores including Harris Jewelers in Troy in October 2017 when property valued at more than $150,000 was stolen. Among other victims were Direct Jewelry Outlet, also known as Rock Jewelers on Springboro Pike, Dayton; Bacovin Jewelers in Hamilton; Kromholtz Jewelers in Montgomery; Kamal’s Gold Center in Dayton; Mikado Japanese Restaurant, Piqua; Advance America, Piqua; Check into Cash, Troy; and The Home Depot on Springboro Pike, Dayton.

Others charged in the case were Jesse Spurlock, 45, of Tipp City. He was sentenced to eight years in prison in February. He pleaded to 15 years but continued to deny involvement in the ring despite DNA evidence. Kenneth Evans, 41, of Dayton, was sentenced in December to 18 months in prison after pleading to two charges. A former Troy woman now of Dayton is awaiting sentencing. Michele Gue, 48, pleaded to five charges.

Charges against Markus Gate, 36, of Dayton were dismissed by prosecutors last year.

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