La Plata, MD – Sanovia Angela Smith, 37 of Accokeek, will be sentenced next month after she entered an Alford Plea to theft charges stemming from a Jan. 19, incident when she allegedly used her real estate credentials to open a locked house and allow co-defendants to remove a new heat pump still in the box from a home for sale.
Smith made the plea before Charles County Circuit Court Judge H. James West Monday, Oct. 19 in La Plata.
According to Charles County Assistant State’s Attorney Tiffany Campbell, Smith used her status as a real estate agent to unlock the door to a house for sale in Charles County using a security code.
“Two other individuals who were with her, went into the house for sale, removed a heat ppump from the residence and loaded it in the back of the defendant’s Mercedes SUV,” Campbell stated.
She added the heat pump was taken to an address of one of the co-defendants. The property was valued at $3,500.
Defense attorney James Zafiropulos told the court that one of two co-defendants in the case pled guilty on Friday, Oct. 16 in Charles County Circuit Court.
“He led police to a house and returned the heat pump,” Zafiropulos said. “It was a brand new heat pump, still in the box,” he added.
West ordered a pre-sentencing investigation and told Smith sentencing would take place Dec. 15.
Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com