NORTHAMPTON — A South Hadley man was sentenced Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the theft of jewlery, coins and other items from two antique shops.
Hampshire Superior Court Judge James Manitsas sentenced Steven Skea, 65, of South Hadley, to between five and seven years in state prison for stealing over $130,000 worth of goods from antique businesses in Northampton and Deerfield.
The investigation began after The Collector Galleries in Northampton reported a break-in in August 2023, with surveillance footage showing a gloved suspect blocking a camera with a ceiling tile. The business reported 100 pieces of jewelry and 200 pieces of flatware missing. In late October 2023, Whitney Hill Antiques in Deerfield reported a break-in and theft of items including rare coins and antique jewelry. The estimated cost of the items ranged from $30,000 to $50,000.
After law enforcement obtained a warrant and searched his home, Skea admitted selling stolen items to jewelers in Holyoke and Enfield and led investigators to multiple locations in his residence and garage, identifying numerous stolen pieces. During that search, investigators discovered a semi-automatic pistol Skea did not have a license to possess.
Prosecutors charged Skea with two counts of breaking and entering at nighttime to commit a felony, two counts of larceny in a building and one cout of unlawfully possessing a firearm.
The five-to-seven-year sentence length was jointly recommended by Northwestern Assistant District Attorneys Joseph Webber and Alexa Pascucci and defense attorney Alfred Chamberland.
On the breaking and entering charge, Skea could have faced up to 20 years incarceration.
Skea has a substantial arrest record dating back to the 1980s, including multiple theft charges, drug offenses and several traffic violations, the district attorney’s office said. He was previously convicted of receiving stolen goods after a police officer found him with an envelope containing diamonds.
Reached for comment, someone at The Collector Galleries declined to give their name but expressed disappointment with the outcome, stating, “it would have been nice to receive some restitution or any of the substantial items back that were stolen.”
