KentNewsNet.com

Issue date: 12/6/07 Section: News

Boyd

A federal grand jury indicted a Kent State student yesterday in connection with the theft of $7.4 million from an armored car company in Liberty, Ohio Nov. 26.

Student Nicole D. Boyd, along with her boyfriend, Roger L. Dillon, are charged with three counts, including theft from a federally insured bank. According to court documents, at least $1 million of the stolen cash belongs to Chase Bank.

After the money was stolen, the FBI followed leads to West Virginia, where they arrested Boyd, her boyfriend and his mother in a trailer in the small town of Pipestem early Saturday morning, special agent Scott Wilson said.

That night, Boyd's story was told on the television show "America's Most Wanted."

Yesterday, Boyd appeared before a magistrate judge in Beckley, W.Va. The court's initial formalities were waived, a clerk said, and custody of the three suspects was given to the U.S. Marshals Service, who will transport the three suspects to Ohio.

In court, Boyd whispered "I love you" to Dillon before the 20-minute hearing, and she wept as she turned to her father sitting in the courtroom and said "I'm sorry," The Associated Press reported.

A representative from the U.S. attorney's office did not know when Boyd and the others would be returned to Ohio and said no court date had been set.

Wilson said the heist was one of the largest in Ohio's recent history.

He said Dillon worked at the armored car company and was able to achieve access to the building. He did not come to work the day following the theft, setting off the investigation.

The FBI got its best lead in the case when Boyd's pickup truck was found, Wilson said. In it, agents found receipts pointing them toward West Virginia.

"We pretty much zeroed in on them right away," Wilson said.

Boyd, a fashion design major, was a resident of McDowell Hall's first floor, according to the Kent State directory. Those who live near Boyd's room and were contacted by the Stater did not know her.

Elizabeth Rhodes, director of the School of Fashion Design and Merchandising, would not comment on the arrest. Students in the fashion program contacted by the Stater either did not know Boyd or would not comment.

A maximum 20-year sentence accompanies Boyd's charge of bank larceny. She is also charged with conspiring to transport stolen property in interstate commerce and aiding and abetting the transportation of over $7 million of stolen property from Ohio to West Virginia, according to press release from the United States Attorney, Northern District of Ohio.

Contact public affairs reporter Steven Bushong at sbushong@kent.edu. Reporters Sarah Nusinow and James Buechele contributed to this report.

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