3 generations of one family charged with theft

Officials from Jackson, Banks, Madison and Habersham counties pored over their records to see if any of the items are from burglaries in those jurisdictions. A loss prevention officer from Home Depot also looked over the items.

Most were used, but a few were still in their boxes, suggesting that they were the results of shoplifting. Among the new items was a 32-inch LCD TV and a Toshiba TV.

The investigation spread into Banks and Madison counties, where officials recovered other items believed to be stolen.

The suspects are Frances Irene Wilson, 66, 358 Spring Street, her son, Tommy Lee Wilson Jr., 42, of the same address; her granddaughter, Kayla Wilson, 22, 132 Buckeye Point, Commerce; Crystal Gail Coile, 35, 358 Spring Street, described as Tommy Wilson’s girlfriend; Melvin Pritchett III, 26, 271 Meadowlark Way, Maysville; and Troy Wood, 31, 2182 Adams Clark Road, Commerce.

“We believe it was a combination of shoplifting and burglary,” advised Lt. Ken Harmon, head of the department’s Criminal Investigation Division. “What we can prove right now is major shoplifting from Home Depot.”

Harmon said loss prevention officials from both Home Depot and Lowe’s have gone over the materials.

“The Home Depot security people had been looking for Kayla Wilson,” he said, “in a number of stores. The security guy had her in multiple states.”

According to Harmon, Irene Wilson’s role was to dispose of the stolen goods, probably through auctions, either in auction houses or online, and the others stole the items.

Harmon indicated that the investigation shows that Wood and Tommy Lee Wilson stole the tractor.

Harmon said the owner of the tractor was “pretty excited” about getting it back because it was one of the few remaining items from her father’s estate. Harmon said the woman told him that at the time the tractor was stolen, it would not crank.

“It cranks now,” he pointed out.

The department continues to try to link the recovered items to theft reports.

“Some of the used stuff is hard to identify because people (victims) don’t have serial numbers,” Harmon said. “Nothing comes back (reported as) stolen, but considering the collection, it seems obvious. It’s something that’s going to take some time to ID each piece and figure out where it came from.”

In addition to the Wilson’s Spring Street residence, Harmon said police recovered suspected stolen items at Kayla Wilson’s Buckeye point residence and Troy Wood’s Adams Clark Road.
“Troy Wood is a career criminal, so that’s no surprise,” the detective said.