Hunter/Lang
02/05/23
A second suspect has been arrested for an incident in which tens of thousands of dollars in jewelry was allegedly stolen from an Iowa City residence.
According to police, the victim reported about $20,000 in jewelry being stolen from her South Park Drive residence on November 17th. The home was undergoing a renovation project where two workers reportedly conspired to take the jewelry and sell it for profit.
Police determined that 46-year-old transient Joseph Barnes and 39-year-old Christopher Chada of Coralville were responsible for the theft. A search warrant was executed at Chada’s Boston Way apartment on December 8th and police found a quantity of marijuana that Chada allegedly admitted he uses.
Arrest warrants were issued on January 13th. Barnes was taken into custody on January 14th ; Chada was arrested early Saturday morning. The two face 1st degree Theft charges and could be sentenced to up to ten years in prison if convicted. Chada was also charged with marijuana possession, which could add another year to his sentence.