2 CHARGED WITH RUNNING JAIL THEFT RING

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, March 4, 1993                   TAG: 9303040132
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By DAVID M. POOLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short
2 CHARGED WITH RUNNING JAIL THEFT RING
Roanoke County authorities have uncovered a stolen-goods ring that briefly operated, of all places, inside the county jail.
Inmates with trusty privileges managed to break into the jail property room and steal watches and necklaces held in safekeeping for inmates, authorities said.
The trusties mailed the stolen goods to friends or bartered them in the cell block, authorities said.
Roanoke County Sheriff Gerald Holt said a tip from an inmate in early February enabled his officers to put a quick end to the thefts.
The trusties' privileges were revoked and criminal charges placed against them, Holt said.
Michael Wayne Lynn, 28, faces two counts of burglary, one count of petty larceny and one count of grand larceny, court records show.
William Cary Carter, 21, of Roanoke faces one count of receiving stolen goods.
Charges were pending against a third inmate, authorities said.
Detective Rick Moorer of the Roanoke Police Department said the suspects found a way to pick the lock on the property room door. The alleged thefts took place Jan. 28 and Feb. 1, court records show.
Moorer said he found no fault with trusty supervision. "It was not the jailer's fault," Moorer said.
Most of the property has been recovered, except for a watch and part of a necklace belonging to a traveling salesman who was held briefly last month for failing to have a county business license, Moorer said.
One of the inmates flushed them down the toilet in an attempt to cover up the theft, he said.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB