A Michigan City husband and wife have each been charged with theft, after Chesterton Police said that they sold or pawned tens of thousands of dollars worth of gold, silver, and platinum bars belonging to an elderly local woman whom they were caring for.

Bary Bostic, 46, and Robin Bostic, 40, both of 425 Walker St., have been charged with one count of theft.

According to the probable cause affidavit filed by CPD Det. Lt. Dave Adkins, on March 16 officers responded to a burglary complaint in the 300 block of South 10th Street, the home of an elderly widow. The widow was not at the residence at the time but staying instead at a hotel in Michigan City, Adkins stated.

Responding officers were told by a woman taking care of the home in the widow’s absence that she found a safe in the living room open and a file cabinet opened and all paperwork pertaining to the widow’s late husband’s estate missing, Adkins stated.

A short time later, one of the widow’s co-guardians arrived at the scene, where she advised officers that the safe in question had contained sliver and platinum bars and coins and that Bary and Robin Bostic, as the widow’s caregivers, both had access to the residence, Adkins stated.

Further investigation determined that a Michigan City jeweler who had, over the course of 30 years, sold multiple gold, silver, and platinum bars to the widow’s husband had recently re-purchased many of those bars and had issued multiple checks to the Bostics or to their real estate broker on their behalf, Adkins stated. Those checks included two on Feb. 8 in the amounts of $96,695 and $56,224.45; one on Feb. 9 for $67,080.55; and three on March 9 for $42,695, $14,755, and $45,000, Adkins stated.

In addition, Adkins stated, in May investigators learned that Ameripawn had re-issued to the widow $118,755.55 for silver and platinum bars and jewelry which the Bostics had pawned there.

The charge of theft filed against Bary and Robin Bostic is a Class C count, punishable by a term of two to eight years.

Posted 10/26/2012