Two brothers get prison terms for what DA calls 'crime spree' of theft in Wilmington area
Two brothers from Fairmont have been sentenced to several years in prison after being convicted of multiple felonies, including larceny, in what the office of New Hanover County District Attorney Ben David called a "crime spree" involving thefts of vehicles, golf carts, landscaping equipment and more.
According to a news release from the DA's office, Kelvin Sealey, 42, and John Sealey, 39, were caught as part of a joint investigation by the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Department, the Wilmington Police Department, and the Carolina Beach Police Department.
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Most of the victims were area businesses, the release said, but in one instance the brothers used a stolen truck to steal landscaping equipment from the city of Wilmington's department of Parks & Recreation.
John Sealey rented a red Dodge Ram truck to commit some of the crimes, the DA said, which police were able to follow by using a GPS tracking system after seeing the vehicle on a surveillance video. With his brother Kelvin Sealey driving a White Chevrolet Avalanche, the men stole trailers, golf carts, ATVs, a tractor and more.
During a surveillance operation by the New Hanover Sheriff’s Office on March 25, 2021, police saw the men steal a trailer from one business, which they then used to steal golf carts from another business.
Shortly thereafter, police arrested the Sealeys, using a police dog to catch Kelvin Sealey after he tried to flee.
Kelvin Sealey has been in jail since he was arrested, but John Sealey continued to commit crimes after getting out of jail on a $250,000 secured bond. Initially, John Sealey was required to wear an electronic monitoring device, but he was later able to convince a judge to have the device removed later removed "over the State’s objection," the DA's office notes.
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On April 4 of this year, police saw camera footage of John Sealey stealing another trailer from an area business. When detectives with the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office served him with an arrest warrant on May 3, police say they found cocaine and heroin hidden in flashlights.
John Sealey, who has past convictions for larceny, forgery and assault on a law enforcement officer, pleaded guilty to multiple felony larceny charges, and he was also convicted of trafficking heroin and cocaine. Superior Court Judge Kent Harrell sentenced him to between six and eight years in prison, plus a $100,000 fine for the drug charges.
Superior Court Judge Thomas Wilson sentenced Kelvin Sealey, who is a habitual felon with multiple past convictions for larceny, to between eight and 10 years in prison.
The brothers were also ordered to pay over $50,000 in restitution to the businesses they stole from.
Contact John Staton at 910-343-2343 or John.Staton@StarNewsOnline.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Sealey brothers get prison terms for series of Wilmington-area thefts
