'Handyman,' accomplice arrested for stealing rare coins from Towns County woman, sheriff says

TOWNS COUNTY, Ga. - Two men are behind bars accused of stealing thousands of dollars in rare coins, a large amount of cash, a gun, and prescription drugs from a Towns County grandmother fighting stage 4 cancer.

Christopher James Plush, 30, and Devin Barry Lowery, 24, were both booked into the Towns County Jail.

Deputies with the Towns County Sheriff’s Office say Plush was hired by Dr. Nancy Kelly about three weeks ago while she was recovering from back surgery from a year ago. Dr. Kelly says Plush was recommended to her to help her with her limited mobility.

"I was real impressed. He's very polite, he seemed to have a lot of knowledge of everything," she said.

Deputies say two men were arrested for stealing thousands of rare coins for an elderly woman with mobility issues in Towns County. (FOX 5)

Since he was homeless and because she is a former foster parent, she decided to take him in for 18 days to help out. She even got him new clothes. Instead, investigators say Plush was taking her car at night, not to mention precious coins she and her husband had collected over the many years before his passing.

"At night, he was going to my shop to load up boxes, but I had no idea," she said.

Kelly says at least one of those coins is worth $20,000 alone and there are about 10,000 coins in all. Towns County Sheriff Kenneth Henderson says the whole collection could be worth millions.

Thousands of rare coins stolen from an elderly Towns County woman have been recovered and are sitting in a secure lockup. (FOX 5)

The sheriff says they were able to recover the majority of the stolen items quickly. Those coins are now sitting in a secure lockup.

"I'm so glad to tell this story because I want to keep other women from being victimized," she said. "It’s the right thing, I believe, to be a Good Samaritan. Don’t be foolish. Don't give up your common sense."

Christopher James Plush, left, and Devin Barry Lowery, right (Towns County Sheriff's Office)

Plush was charged with one count of burglary and three counts of theft by taking. Lowery was charged with one count of burglary and one count of theft by taking. Deputies call Lowery an accomplice, but did not elaborate as to his involvement.

The sheriff says more charges are possible, including elder abuse.