Former Georgia deputy suspected of theft after break-in at home of late NFL player Demaryius Thomas
ROSWELL, Ga. - An ex-Bibb County deputy has been accused of stealing sports memorabilia and other valuable items from the Roswell of the late Demaryius Thomas, according to WGXA.
Roswell Police were called to Thomas' home on March 13. According to the police report, an ESPY award, football memorabilia, a football jersey signed by Tom Brady, several guns, a hyperbaric chamber and thousands of dollars in cash were stolen from the home.
Authorities found a man, later identified as 29-year-old Vashone Jones inside Thomas' home, WGXA reported. Jones worked as a Bibb County deputy until he resigned in 2019 following theft and card fraud charges.
Thomas was found dead in his suburban Atlanta home on December 9, 2021.
Anyone with information on the stolen items should contact Roswell Police Department.
Who was Demaryius Thomas?
Demaryius Thomas is a native of Georgia who played collegiately at Georgia Tech before earning five straight Pro Bowl honors and a Super Bowl ring during a prolific receiving career spent mostly with the Denver Broncos.
Thomas was born in Motrose, Georgia in 1987.
Thomas' mother Katina Smith was convicted on drug trafficking charges for her role in a crack cocaine ring she and her mother, Minnie Pearl Thomas, operated out of their Georgia home.
Smith was released from a federal prison in Florida in 2015 when then-President Barack Obama commuted the sentences of 46 non-violent drug offenders. After her initial release from a Georgia halfway house in November 2015, she had a 60-day travel restriction, so she was unable to attend any games during the season.
January 2016 marked the first time Smith saw her son play in person during a game between the Denver Broncos and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 1: Demaryius Thomas (88) of the Denver Broncos tries to get the crowd loud during the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Denver Broncos hosted the Kansas City Chiefs at Broncos Stadium at Mile High in Denver, Colo
Thomas’ father was serving in the Army and stationed in Kuwait when his mother and grandmother were arrested in 1999. Thomas, 11 years old at the time, went to live with an aunt and uncle, Shirley and James Brown, a Baptist minister who lived six miles away.
Thomas took up football to stay off the streets and out of trouble. He went on to play for Georgia Tech from 2006-2009 before being selected in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos in 2010.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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