Suspect pleads not guilty in cemetery thefts

6/14/2013

SANDUSKY — A Clyde, Ohio, man accused of stealing scores of items from area cemeteries entered a not-guilty plea during a Sandusky Municipal Court appearance on Thursday.

Jeffrey Huey, 23, was charged with breaking and entering, vandalism, and theft felonies after police said they found at his house a stash of urns, angels, flower pots, and other items allegedly swiped from graveyards, including Oakland Cemetery near Sandusky.

Mr. Huey is scheduled to return to court June 26 for a preliminary hearing.

Sandusky police Detective Gary Wichman said he has received numerous calls from people reporting items missing from Michigan and Ohio cemeteries in Lambertville, Bryan, Defiance, Castalia, and Vermilion, among other places.

He is asking people who have photographs to supply pictures of items missing from graves to help with identification.

Detective Wichman said police are trying to piece together which reports could be related to Mr. Huey.

He said the earliest incident police have linked to him so far dates to November.

Mr. Huey is accused of using a Facebook page to try to sell items he said he had picked up at estate sales, Detective Wichman said.