Judge Declines Leniency For Man Who Stole Aunt's Life Saving

ROGERSVILLE — A Hawkins County woman helped influence Judge John Dugger Friday against granting leniency for her nephew who pleaded guilty to stealing a large quantity of her jewelry.Joshua Eugene "Josh" Fields, 33, 4022 W. Carters Valley Road, Church Hill, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of theft over $10,000 in exchange for a three year sentence.Fields must serve 30 percent of that sentence behind bars before he is eligible for parole.He was also ordered to pay his aunt, Kathy Fields, $30,000 in restitution for the jewelry Fields stole from her in April of 2013.Josh Fields reportedly sold the jewelry to a Kingsport "Gold Rush" store and receive a little more than $5,000.Kathy Fields, who gave a victim impact statement to the court during her nephew's sentencing hearing, said the value of the jewelry was much higher than $30,000, but that was all she could find receipts for.A Hawkins County Sheriff's Office report estimated the value of the jewelry around $75,000.Kathy Field told the court that she had worked and collected that jewelry over the course of 39 years.