(Memphis, TN) Police have arrested one man, and are still looking for another, who may have stolen about $60,000 worth of jewelry while working on a house in early March.
According to a police report, co-workers at All Seasons Restoration “observed the suspect, Jeremy Brooks, reach into a jewelry box and grab a handful of jewelry.”
They reported it to their boss, who then found some of the items in the company car.
The owner of All Seasons Restoration, Gregory Brooks, said he has no family relation to the suspect.
Brooks said, “I want to be successful, and you can’t do that with people doing that behind your back.”
He said he was shocked to find out about the alleged theft, and he found the whole incident “disheartening.”
Brooks said he took the items back to the woman they worked for, where she claimed back a Rolex worth $29,000.
The rest of the jewelry, however, was not hers.
Brooks said he turned over all items and information to police, including reports of each house the suspect worked for in the last month and a half.
“We’re not that company that’s just going to say, oh, don’t worry about it. We’re going to get them,” said Brooks.
All Seasons Restoration is not rated by the Better Business Bureau because Brooks started the company only three or four months ago. He said he was personally screening employees for certification, but will now be using a reputable staffing company to avoid these types of hires.
Nancy Crawford, the director of marketing and communications at the Better Business Bureau, said, “If the company is established and has a good record, chances are they’re probably checking out their employees as well. And ask the company, do you do background checks on your employees?”
She also recommended searching the company’s name online for customer reviews. One should also ask if the company sends out its own employees or if they use contracted workers.
“You just can’t check out every individual person, and that’s a good reminder that you shouldn’t just respond to a big ad. Just because they have the money to put a big ad in the newspaper or yellow pages, doesn’t mean they’re a reputable company,” she said. “It doesn’t mean they aren’t, either.”
Jeremy Brooks is charged with two counts of theft of property between $10,000 and $60,000.
