Destin Man Pleads Guilty to Shipping Jewelry Stolen from Walton County Burglaries

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Mark Joshua Mitchell, 39, of Destin, pled guilty today to seven counts of interstate transportation of stolen property. The guilty plea was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

On various dates in 2015 and 2016, victims contacted the Walton County Sheriff’s Office to report that their residence had been burglarized and that jewelry and other items had been stolen during the burglaries. The victims reported six different burglaries in Santa Rosa Beach, Panama City Beach, and Destin. The stolen items included multi-carat diamond engagement rings, a three-piece platinum wedding ring set, other jewelry, cash, and Mexican gold coins. Mitchell then shipped diamonds taken from the rings or the entire stolen item to Missouri and Louisiana.

On each of the seven counts, Mitchell faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 18, 2017, at 3:00 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola.

The investigation in this case was led by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) provided assistance. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Eggers.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.