Repair Worker Steals, Pawns $85,000 in Jewelry to Fund Heroin Addiction

WHITEFISH BAY -- A 37-year-old Milwaukee woman stole nearly $85,000 in jewelry from residents of two homes where she was hired to do repair work.

Cheryl Kennedy has been charged with three counts of felony theft and one count of possession of narcotic drugs and could face 10-and-a-half years behind bars if she is convicted.

According to her criminal complaint, residents from a home on the 140 block of West Fox Dale Road in Glendale came into the police department in late june and told police they were missing $19,500 in jewelery after workers from Can-Do Repairs were hired to do home repair work on the property.

In mid-July, a resident from the 1500 block of East Cumberland Blvd. in Whitefish Bay walked into the police department, stating the daughter was missing $30,000 in jewelery, and her mother was missing $35,000 in jewelery during a similar visit from Can-Do Repairs.

Police were able to identify and make an arrest on Kennedy on July 14 in Milwaukee. Upon her arrest, authorities also found the presence of heroin and tools to administer the drug, the complaint said.

According to her complaint, Kennedy admitted to later pawning that jewelry at numerous shops within the Milwaukee area including Reflections, John’s Jewelry, and Pawn American in order to provide funding for her heroin addiction.