Two defendants and a 2024 burglary case will be spending time in prison for their roles in the burglary of a home on Curtis James Road.
Samantha Shamar Thomas and Deiadre Antwann Jackson were in Jones County Superior Court March 20 to enter guilty pleas to their charges.
Jackson received 20 years for burglary in first degree and three years for possession of methamphetamine. The sentences are to run concurrently for a total of 20 years with the first 10 years served in confinement.
The remainder of his sentence may be served on probation, and he received credit for time served from his June 7, 2024 arrest.
Thomas was sentenced on the 2024 burglary and for a probation violation in a 2022 case.
She received five years for the first-degree burglary charge and three years for possession methamphetamine. Those sentences will run together for a total of five years with the first three years served in confinement.
The remainder of the sentence may be served on probation. Thomas also received credit for time served from her June 7, 2024, arrest.
She was adjudicated guilty on her 2022 case, which means her first offender treatment was removed. Thomas was resentenced to 15 years for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The first three years served in confinement and the remainder of sentence on probation.
Both of her sentences will run concurrently.
June 2024 burglary
Jackson and Thomas were indicted July 19 for the charge of burglary in first degree and the possession of methamphetamine.
They were suspects in a crime that took place on Curtis James Road June 6, 2024, and were arrested the following day. Both were charged with possession of methamphetamine and burglary in the first degree. Thomas was also charged with a probation violation.
A report of the incident leading to the arrests by Jones County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Anna Amerson stated she was dispatched to a residence on Curtis James Road in reference to a possible burglary.
The deputy said when she arrived at the scene, JCSO Investigator Barron Hall was already there.
The complainant told the officers that she left her home at 8 a.m., and when she returned after 11 a.m., noticed her bedroom door was open. She told Amerson her jewelry boxes were open, and the entire bottom drawer of one of the boxes was missing.
The officer said she was told the drawer was filled with gold jewelry.
The complainant said there were a lot of expensive items in the home that were not touched, and she did not understand why the offenders only took certain things.
When her husband arrived at the home, he told officers he had left the house about 8:30 a.m., but that time later fluctuated. The husband said a friend he knew only as Dee had been at the home, but he was not left alone in the house.
After looking around the house, the man said his wallet had been taken out of his room. A Play-Station and a black pressure washer were also discovered to be missing.
A video of a white car pulling into the driveway of the home around 10 a.m. was later obtained from a camera in the neighborhood and given to law enforcement.
Hall recalled the incidents leading to the arrests of Jackson and Thomas in a March 21 interview. He said he was out on another call nearby when the burglary call was dispatched. The investigator said he and Amerson talked to the victims about what was missing and the facts of the case, including a white car seen by a person living close by. He said while investigating the burglary, another video was located that showed the vehicle involved was a white Toyota Camry.
Hall said information about the car revealed it had been seen frequenting a local motel, and surveillance of the motel was set up. He said they saw two people going back and forth with the car.
Thomas, who was known to be on probation, was identified, and both suspects were arrested.
Hall said Jackson gave a false name at first but was soon identified.
The story about how the burglary was pulled off, showed the planning involved.
Assistant District Attorney Cara Fiore told the story when presenting the facts of the case during Thomas’ plea proceeding.
Fiore said Jackson, who was acquainted with the husband, picked him up the morning of June 6 and took him to the motel to “visit” with Thomas.
“While she was keeping the husband ‘busy’, Mr. Jackson burglarized the home,” she said.
Hall said the husband provided officers with Thomas’s phone number, further tying her to the case. He said the motel room and car were searched.
The investigator said multiple stolen ID cards and credit cards were found from previous victims and items from the burglary were located in local pawnshops.
