SACO — A former funeral home worker charged with stealing a ring from the remains of a Saco woman has been sentenced to three months in jail.

Stuart Weston, 51, of Sanford, will begin serving his sentence at York County Jail in Alfred on June 1.

He was charged with felony theft a year ago after family members of Laura Wood, who died on Jan. 21, 2021, at age 102, discovered her gold and diamond wedding and engagement rings were missing and reported the matter to Saco Police.

Weston had been sent by Autumn Green Funeral Home in Alfred, where he worked at the time, to pick up Wood’s remains from Seal Rock Healthcare. He was terminated by the funeral home soon after the incident.

“It was determined that Weston had stolen the rings from the deceased victim and subsequently pawned the stolen jewelry,” said Saco Deputy Police Chief Corey Huntress in a news release.

Wood’s granddaughter had posted on social media that her grandmother’s rings were missing and checked pawn shops and purveyors of estate jewelry. She checked with Maine Gold & Silver in South Portland and gave the staff there Weston’s name. According to a Feb. 27, 2021, Portland Press Herald story by Ray Routhier, store staff checked their records and video surveillance and called Saco Police.

Weston pleaded guilty to the charge, authorities said, and was sentenced Feb. 11 at York County Superior Court in Alfred.

The jewelry was recovered and returned to the heirs of the deceased, said Huntress, who offered the department’s thanks to Maine Gold & Silver for their assistance and cooperation during the investigation.

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