Media

Deputies Discover Theft Ring--15 Home Burglaries Throughout Shelby County Are Solved

Release Date: December 9, 2004

Shelby County Deputies have charged three men in connection with an elaborate scheme to steal appliances from houses under construction and then sell them at a Frayser area appliance store.
This past Monday morning, December 6, 2004, about 10 o’clock, a construction supervisor was arriving at a home being built at 3940 Neyland Valley Drive in North Shelby County. He noticed two men load a stove into a pickup truck and drive away.

He followed the truck and immediately alerted Sheriff’s Deputies. As the truck entered the Memphis City Limits, a Memphis Police Officer stopped the pickup on Raleigh-Frayser Road near Calvary Creek.

Deputies soon arrived and arrested the driver, Ronnie Smith, 27, of Memphis, and a passenger, Bobby Potts, 33, of Memphis.

Ronnie Smith	Bobby Potts

Later, in a recorded statement after being advised of his rights, Smith admitted he stole the stove from the house on Neyland Valley Drive, with assistance from Potts.

Smith also admitted that he had burglarized 14 other homes under construction in neighborhoods in Memphis, Bartlett and unincorporated areas of Shelby County.

Smith then went with Sheriff’s Detectives to the various locations where the burglaries had occurred. He guided Detectives to another man, who they say, received the stolen appliances at his Frayser home. Officers say that man, Jeffrey McCoy, 43, of Memphis, then sold the stolen goods to other people and even had them up for sale at an appliance store he told Deputies that he owned in the Frayser area.

Later this past Monday night, Deputies served a search warrant at McCoy’s home at 1830 Dupont. They found two stolen Honda four-wheelers and a stolen central air-conditioning unit.

Jeffrey McCoy

A team of detectives then went to McCoy’s store called, “The Appliance Store,” at 3128 Millington Road.

There, investigators found eleven appliances that had been stolen from homes under construction. Deputies found some of the appliances to have had the manufacturer’s serial number removed. It is unlawful in Tennessee to possess an item that has had the serial number altered or removed.

Many of the other stolen appliances have yet to be located.

Ronnie Smith has been charged with one count of burglary. Detectives say they will be asking the Shelby County Grand Jury to consider charging him with the other 14 burglaries.

Bobby Potts has been charged with one count of burglary.

Jeffrey McCoy has been charged with one count of felony theft of property. Detectives say he will also face other charges.