A Waterville man has been charged with felony theft, police say, after he stole two rings from a local jewelry store last month.
Kevin Barr, 34, put two rings worth $5,000 on his fingers and ran out of L Tardif Jeweler on the afternoon of April 15, according to a statement released late Tuesday morning by Waterville Police Chief Joseph Massey.
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Barr, of 8 Broad St., tried on several expensive rings April 15, store employees told police. When Barr bolted, allegedly with two rings on his fingers, store employees attempted to chase him, but he outran them. Responding police couldn’t find him that day.
After circulating images of Barr from the store’s surveillance cameras, police received multiple tips from the public that identified him as the jewel thief. Police got a warrant and searched Barr’s home on Broad Street, but did not find the rings.
After police secured a warrant for Barr’s arrest, he surrendered to the Waterville Police Department about 9 p.m. Sunday, Massey said. In addition to felony theft and violation of conditions of release for the jewelry store allegations, Barr also was charged with burglary, theft and criminal mischief in connection with a residential burglary that was reported June 12.
He also was wanted on two additional warrants for failure to appear in court and failure to pay fines.
The combined maximum penalty for the crimes is more than 20 years in prison and more than $30,000 in fines, according to the Maine attorney general.
Barr has been convicted of several crimes over the past three years.
In May 2011, Waterville District Court ordered Barr to pay a $150 fine for attaching false plates.
In April 2012, he was sentenced in the Waterville court to pay $400 in fines and $500 in restitution for criminal trespass and theft by receiving stolen property. He also was sentenced to a 364-day suspended jail sentence.
Last June he received three 15-day jail sentences in Waterville District Court for theft by receiving stolen property, failing to provide his correct name and date of birth to police and violating conditions of release.
Barr’s bail has been set at $2,130 and he was taken to the Kennebec County jail, with a court date scheduled for June 17.
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