Upper Gwynedd Woman Sentenced to Probation, Restitution for Stealing $30K in Heirloom Jewely from Neighbor

Keith Heffintrayer | North Penn Now•

An Upper Gwynedd woman has been sentenced to probation for stealing $30,000 in heirloom jewelry from her neighbor, who died while the investigation was active.

Joanne Kennedy, 76, was sentenced to one year of probation late last month, after pleading guilty to one misdemeanor count of theft by unlawful taking. Sentencing notes indicate Kennedy must pay restitution to the victim’s family and pay court costs, and she is also prohibited from having contact with the family of the victim.

A second misdemeanor charge of receiving stolen property was dismissed in exchange for her plea, court records show.

Upper Gwynedd Police were contacted in February 2023 regarding the alleged theft of jewelry from a home along the 900 block of Independence Lane. The reporting party, identified in the criminal complaint as the victim’s daughter, said her mother had been transferred to a facility for medical reasons, and when she went to her mother’s home to gather her clothing and belongings, she noticed her mother’s jewelry box appeared to be out of place on her dresser.

Upon looking inside, the daughter discovered 10 pieces of heirloom jewelry were missing, along with a list created by her mother with instructions on which family members the jewelry was to be bestowed upon. The daughter later informed her mother at the healthcare facility that the jewelry had been stolen, at which point the victim became extremely distraught and angry, according to court documents.

At no time did the victim mention giving away the jewelry or deviating from the recipient list, police said.

Investigators learned that the victim was close friends with her neighbor — identified as 75-year-old Joanne Kennedy — who frequently provided assistance to the victim prior to her being moved to a healthcare facility, including walking her dog in the mornings, cooking, and doing laundry, police said. Kennedy also had a key to the victim’s home, and the daughter said Kennedy seemed "less than surprised” when she learned about the missing jewelry, according to charging documents.

Kennedy spoke with police on several occasions between July 2023 and August 2023, during which she talked about how much she had done for the victim while attempting to shy away from discussing the missing jewelry, police said.

Initially, Kennedy told police the victim had given her the jewelry to avoid her family fighting over it, adding that she had sold all the jewelry to Dublin Jewelers in Hatfield, the report states. However, during follow up interviews, Kennedy allegedly confessed to stealing the jewelry over a one-year period, with investigators describing her as "remorseful” and quoting her as stating the situation was a "disaster” and she wanted to "make it right” by cutting the family a check for several of the items, according to the complaint.

Investigators went to Dublin Jewelers, where they found that Kennedy had sold them jewelry twice in September 2022, and once each in November 2022, December 2022, and January 2023, police said. Upon seeing an image of Kennedy, the owner said he recognized her as a regular customer, adding they do not often keep jewelry that they purchase and they instead break it down to sell the precious metals and stones, according to police.

"Joanne Kennedy intentionally deprived [the victim] and her family of heirloom jewelry that had been specifically [designated] to certain members of [the victim’s] family by removing it from a jewelry box contained in the master bedroom of [her home],” reads part of the affidavit of probable cause. "Kennedy then sold this jewelry to a business that salvages and/or resells the valuable metals and stones.”

The criminal complaint indicates the victim died in May 2023, several months prior to the charges being filed on Aug. 29, 2023

Kennedy was initially charged with felony counts of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property, however those charges were reduced to first-degree misdemeanors in exchange for Kennedy waiving her preliminary hearing, court records show.