Cleaning crew charged after estate theft
Three Flint residents faced felony counts after police found stolen goods and narcotics in their vehicle during a job in Bloomfield Township.
By Priya Marino ·
Police arrested three cleaning workers on October 23 after discovering stolen items and drugs in their vehicle in Bloomfield Township.
Officers from the Bloomfield Township Police Department responded to a larceny complaint at 2:01 p.m. in the 2000 block of Dell Rose Drive. The property owner had hired the group through Facebook Marketplace to prepare a residence for an estate sale. Upon returning to the site, the owner observed stolen property inside the crew's vehicle while the workers remained on the premises. Inventory of the recovered goods included propane tanks, a Blu-Ray player, alcohol, and toiletries. Derek Rohner, 49, admitted to officers that he took the alcohol from the home.
The suspects identified as Shawna Stewart, 48; Derek Rohner, 49; and Niakna Russo, 30, are all residents of Flint. A search of the vehicle uncovered narcotics in a bag belonging to Stewart. Russo carried paraphernalia in her bag and admitted to having drugs on her person. Officers also found additional paraphernalia concealed on Stewart. The total recovered substances consisted of five grams of suspected methamphetamine and two grams of suspected fentanyl.
The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office filed multiple charges against the trio. Stewart faces a 10-year felony charge for possession of methamphetamine and a 93-day misdemeanor for receiving and concealing stolen property. Rohner was charged with larceny in a building, a 4-year felony. Russo faced a 4-year felony charge for possession of a controlled substance.
Magistrate Morad arraigned the defendants in the 52-1 District Court. Stewart and Russo were released on $5,000 personal recognizance bonds. Rohner received a $7,500 bond with bail set at 10% of that amount. Michael L. Steinberg, appointed by the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission, represented Rohner. He stated that the legal team pushes for favorable bond conditions and noted that the amount set for a felony was not unreasonable.
Marshall S. Tauber, attorney for Stewart, did not respond to requests for comment by press time. Christopher M. Seikaly, attorney for Russo, declined to discuss the case.
Source: C&G Newspapers
More Business · Consumer Watch · Report a business · Got a Story?
