Former Woodbury Teacher Sentenced for Jewelry Thefts

Former Woodbury Middle School teacher Stephen Pierce was convicted yesterday on theft charges, citing that he carried out the thefts to support his cocaine habit, according to the Union Leader.

According to the report, Stephen Pierce, 47, pleaded guilty to two counts of receiving stolen property and began serving a 12 month sentence at Rockingham County Jail.

The conviction comes after Pierce pleaded guilty last year to stealing and pawning a Nikon camera from a classroom. He was an 8th grade teacher at the time of the incident.

He received a suspended jail sentence in Salem District Court for the theft.

Police said subsequent to that investigation and arrest, an Atkinson couple with whom Pierce was friends "looked and discovered that a substantial amount of their jewelry was missing from their home."

The couple reported over $33,000 worth of missing jewelry.

Police said Pierce watched their home and animals when they would go away.

The Union Leader report identifies the second victim as Patricia Tierney of North Andover, who said that Pierce had stolen $18,000 worth of jewelry from her home while working as a handyman.