Two Indicted in Temple Jewelry Theft Case

Two people from Temple were indicted by a Bell County grand jury Wednesday in connection with the theft of over $40,000 worth of jewelry from an elderly woman.

Rachael Marie Tello, 39, and James Asher Daugherty, 28, were indicted on third-degree felony charges of theft over $20,000 and face anywhere from 2 to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Tello and Daugherty were employed by the victim at the time of the thefts, which investigators say could have been going on for as long as four months before their activities were discovered on July 25. According to police, Tello would pocket jewelry or gold coins while helping the victim with house work. Daugherty, who did yard work for the victim, would use his identification at area pawn shops while Tello negotiated prices for the stolen goods.