Three Men Charged in Thefts of Cell Phones

A Millers Creek man has been arrested in connection with three separate break-ins at Advanced Electronics. 29-year old Andrew Joseph Shumate was arrested by Wilkesboro Police yesterday morning, and charged with multiple accounts of breaking and entering, the theft of 64 cellular phones, and multiple counts of damage to property. He was also charged with a count of fraud, for allegedly using his girlfriend's debit card in February to pay his cell bill.

The break-ins at Advanced Electronics happened on February 7th, April 28th, and May 7th. You've heard about all three here on 3WC News. In February, police say Shumate and another man, Todd Wyatt, threw a concrete block through the front door of the store and made off with seven phones. In April, police say Shumate and Wyatt were back at the store, again breaking out the front glass and this time stealing more than 25 phones worth an estimated 44-hundred dollars. In May, once again a block was thrown through the front window and investigators say the pair stole around 15 more phones.

The biggest break in the case came when a woman took one of the phones back to Advanced Electronics to be repaired. Its serial number came up as one of the ones stolen. The woman told police she had purchased the phone from someone at an event earlier this summer, where someone was set up in the camping area behind Windmere apartments, displaying a Cingular sign. She bought the phone for 100-dollars. Another break came when officers learned Bobby Moore had several of the phones and was trying to sell them, but telling the buyers they would not be able to get them serviced locally. Moore faces charges of possessing stolen property, after a search warrant was served on him during the investigation. An arrest record was not released by police in relation to the charges against Todd Wyatt.