SYRACUSE -- After being charged with stealing from the Clinton and West Point cemeteries, a Clinton woman stands accused of doing the same in Syracuse.
June Christine Clark, 38, appeared in Syracuse Justice Court on Monday and pleaded not guilty to four class B misdemeanors. Those charges stem from items taken from grave sites at the Syracuse cemetery.
She was then booked and released from Davis County Jail.
"These are charges that are the same thing as the Clinton charges," said Syracuse Police Lt. Tracy Jensen.
Clark has also been charged with four counts of theft, class B misdemeanors in the Clinton Justice Court, for items taken from grave sites at the Clinton cemetery. She pleaded not guilty April 8 to those counts, and a pretrial conference is set for June 27.
Clinton police began investigating thefts from Clinton and Syracuse cemeteries in March.
Officers confiscated about 60 items taken from the cemeteries in the past year, and some of the items have been returned to owners.
In a third case, Clark had previously entered a no-contest plea May 3 to similar charges out of Farmington's Justice Court for theft from the West Point cemetery.
A no-contest plea means the defendant does not admit guilt, but agrees there is probably sufficient evidence to bring a conviction.
A sentencing hearing before Judge Jerald Jensen is set for 9 a.m. Thursday for the West Point charges.
Davis County sheriff's officers learned of the thefts at the West Point cemetery after Babette Darcey saw a news report about items being reported stolen from local cemeteries.
Items she and family members had put on her son's grave also were missing. Darcey said Clinton police recovered some of those items.
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