The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is looking for potential victims who may have had valuables stolen from them by a woman invited into their homes to do a service.
On Feb. 20, assisted by the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office, LCSO personnel executed a search warrant at the residence of Patricia Wahl a.k.a. Patricia Mellor at 6 Colby Lane in the town of Liberty.
The warrant was the result of a month long investigation into the theft of jewelry from an elderly Jefferson woman. Wahl does house cleaning for elderly clients in the Midcoast area.
According to a statement from the LCSO, Wahl came under suspicion after jewelry was discovered missing.
LCSO detectives set-up a video surveillance at the home of one of Wahl’s clients. According to the LCSO, Wahl was subsequently caught on video stealing jewelry from the client. The total value of the items stolen was in excess of $10,000.
As a result of the initial investigation, a search warrant was obtained for Wahl’s residence in Liberty. The search resulted in the recovery of numerous rings, necklaces, and other assorted jewelry, according to the LCSO.
Wahl was interviewed and subsequently confessed to the thefts, according to the LCSO.
She is charged with Theft by Unauthorized Taking, a Class B felony due to the value of the jewelry involved. She is currently being held at the Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset on a $3000 cash bail.
This investigation is on going in an attempt to locate other possible victims, according to the LCSO.
Clients of Patricia Wahl’s who may have lost jewelry during the time period of her employment are encouraged to contact Det. Ronald Rollins of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at 882-7332.
