Housekeeper stole family heirlooms

A family was “traumatized” after finding out a trusted housekeeper stole $46,000 worth of jewellery and silverware.

Many of the pieces stolen from Suzann and Cindi Pearman were heirlooms, some of which were supposed to be passed down from Cindi’s dead husband to her son.

Terry Ann Rogers, 50, cleaned the homes of Suzann and Cindi Pearman. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law trusted Rogers so much they left her to house sit while they went on vacation.

Unbeknownst to them, Rogers was quietly pocketing the family’s heirloom silverware and jewellery that had been passed down from three generations.

From January 2012 to July 2012, Rogers took various items and sold them to Bermuda Gold Exchange for cash.

Cindi said: “We only used it for Christmas and I wanted to use the silver for my daughter’s birthday. We were doing a tea party and I needed the spoons.

“I called my mother-in-law and asked if she had borrowed the spoons and she said ‘no’. I called my sister-in-law and she said ‘no’.

“No one had borrowed it so that is when we got suspicious.”

Cindi described the situation as devastating.  “She definitely betrayed our trust. She stole some jewellery that can’t be replaced.

“She stole my husband’s special bonefish necklace. He was a fisherman and had a gold bonefish necklace that he wore everyday. It was something that my son would have got. That’s something she stole that can’t be replaced.”

“I was disappointed because we have treated her very well.”

“She stole heirloom stuff that can’t be replaced. The family silver was a wedding present from my husband’s grandparents.

“It may not mean anything to her, but for us, it did.”

Her husband James died four years ago and the silver and his jewellery was for her son 16-year-old James.

Suspected

She said as a result of selling the silverware and jewellery to the now defunct Bermuda Gold Exchange, the items will never be returned as they were sent overseas to be melted down.”

Cindi claimed that Rogers went to the Gold Exchange every week with items that had been pilfered from their homes.

Stolen

“If somebody comes in every week with the same stuff that they brought in last week, you would think maybe it’s stolen, maybe you should call the police.”

Cindi said when she realized the silverware was missing, she decided to do some research to see if she could find it.

“I said ‘Let me see if it’s been pawned somewhere’ and then I saw it was her and I said ‘wow’.”

Suzanne also had jewellery stolen from her by Rogers.

“It was pretty traumatic for us. I think one thing you have to remember is Cindi lost her husband four years ago. The stuff belonged to him that was stolen.

“It had been going on for some time. She didn’t just take it in all one go.

“She was doing this for months. It was family silverware handed down to my son.”

Suzanne said there were 116 pieces in total.

In court yesterday, Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner adjourned the matter to January 22 for sentencing. Rogers’ bail was extended as she had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges on an earlier appearance and was granted bail.