Burglary Suspects Blow Nearly $500,000 Cash, Police Say

Thursday, August 9th 2007, 7:57 pm

By: News On 6

A couple in Claremore had the best and worst luck of their lives, all in the span of three months. Police say the couple broke into a small country home and stumbled across a half a million dollars in cash; that was their good luck. News On 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright reports what the couple did with that money to get them caught, was the bad luck.

The Claremore couple went on a shopping spree that boggles the mind. They walked into a furniture store and paid $50,000 cash, just peeling off $100 bills, it was the same at three car dealerships, they even bought a house with cash. Claremore police say all the stuff was bought with stolen money.

"They went through just short of a half a million dollars in two and a half months," said Claremore Police Detective John Singer.

Police say greed was 26-year-old Joseph Jones downfall. It was just a matter of time before they got caught because when the couple paid $47,000 cash for a Chevy Avalanche, $37,000 cash for a Nissan Murano and $6,000 for a classic 1968 Chevy pickup they signed IRS paperwork. Then, there's the house, purchased for $214,000, all in cash.

"It's unusual to buy a $200,000 plus house with hundred dollar bills," Singer said.

Police say Jones broke into a woman's house, who just happened to have moved out three years earlier, and just happened to have cash socked away everywhere.

"The victim had moved out of the house with relatives, out of the area and hadn't cleaned out the house," said Detective Singer.

Police hope the right legal channels can turn much of Jonesâ€™ purchases back into cash, to be returned to the victim. But, some of the money is gone forever, like the $20,000 each police say Jones gave to some of his buddy and an in-law.

Some of the woman's money was in the form of silver certificates from the 1940s. Police certainly urge everyone to put their money in the bank.

Watch the video: Suspects Steal, Spend $500,000 In Cash, Says Police