By Rita Farlow, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, November 11, 2010
LARGO — An 18-year-old Largo man who called police to report a burglary at his home was arrested Wednesday after officers determined he made up the crime to cover his own theft, according to authorities.
Cody A. Shirey, of the 100 block of 10th Avenue SW, was charged with grand theft, dealing in stolen property and filing a false report of a crime.
According to arrest reports, Shirey stole a Sharp flat screen television and a Compaq personal computer from his parents Oct. 30, then called Largo police to report the family's home had been burglarized.
But Largo police found Shirey had sold the television to a pawn shop on Seminole Boulevard, according to the reports, which do not say what happened to the computer.
When confronted by police, Shirey said he stole the items to support his addiction to prescription pain pills, reports show.
On Thursday afternoon, Shirey was being held in the Pinellas County Jail in lieu of $1,150 bail.
Pinellas court records show Shirey was arrested in March on two counts of obtaining or attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud.