Arrest warrant describes actions of trio in Old Lyme coin theft

Old Lyme — A Westbrook man whom police arrested last month for his alleged role in a scheme to steal coins from his friend’s house in Old Lyme remains in custody, according to police.

Travis Avery, 32, of Westbrook was charged July 20 with two counts of third-degree burglary, two counts of sixth-degree larceny, two counts of conspiracy to commit third-degree burglary and two counts of conspiracy to commit sixth-degree larceny.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Old Lyme resident Joshua McPherson reported on Nov. 19, 2015, that about $150 in rolled quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies had been taken from a dresser in his home.

He further told police that only his friends Rebecca Gergler and Edward Rutty knew he kept money there, and that he had noticed missing coins on multiple occasions over the past year after Gergler came and went from his home.

When Old Lyme police Officer Sal Milardo met with Rutty on Dec. 13, 2015, Milardo said Rutty told him that Gergler had confessed to taking the coins while he, Gergler and Avery were coming back from Hartford last November. He said they’d gone there in his car to get heroin, according to the affidavit.

According to the affidavit, Rutty said Gergler told him she took $70 in coins while helping McPherson clean and then returned at a later date with Avery to take “the rest.”

Rutty said he drove Gergler and Avery to cash in the coins at a bank in Old Lyme, according to the affidavit.

Milardo said when he spoke to Gergler a day later, she said, “I’m not going down for this one.”

According to Milardo, Gergler said she first saw the rolled coins when Rutty showed her a bag full of them, which he said he’d taken from his father.

In her statement, Gergler acknowledged that she’s friends with Avery and Rutty and that the three of them were in a car together in mid-November, but she made no mention of a trip to purchase heroin.

According to the affidavit, Gergler also admitted to having cashed in about $100 of the coins and to knowing where McPherson keeps his money. She told police, “I didn’t break into Josh’s house but I believe Eddie did.”

It wasn’t immediately clear why Gergler cashed in the coins.

According to Milardo, Rutty confessed in February — while being questioned about a first-degree larceny of almost $27,000 in jewelry from Bee & Thistle Inn — to having broken into McPherson’s residence with Avery.

At that point, Milardo wrote, Rutty said Avery performed the initial break-in while Gergler kept watch and that he and Avery together carried out the second one. In both cases, Rutty said the men forced entry through the basement door.

Milardo wrote in the affidavit that he has probable cause to believe Avery, Rutty and Gergler all were involved in taking the money, but only Avery has been arrested and charged so far.

Rutty already is facing a first-degree larceny charge stemming from the Bee & Thistle theft.

Gergler is due in New London Superior Court in December for an ongoing case for charges of second-degree larceny, accessory to second-degree larceny and third-degree forgery.

Avery has an extensive criminal history that includes convictions for felony possession of narcotics, second-degree larceny and first-degree criminal trespass.

Held on a $1,000 bond, Avery is next scheduled to appear in New London Superior Court Aug. 11