Man accused of stealing $100,000 in gold, silver bars from Lancaster County home

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A man accused in a theft at a Lancaster County home was caught last week in South Carolina, the sheriff’s office says.

On Oct. 2, deputies were sent to a home near 54th Street and Saltillo Road on a theft report, Chief Deputy Ben Houchin said.

A woman said someone stole $100,000 worth of gold, platinum and silver bars from her home.

Her daughter’s boyfriend, 37-year-old Mathew Hodges, was the suspected thief, Houchin said.

Deputies learned that Hodges pawned off some of the stolen bars locally.  He then went to Pensacola, Florida, to continue selling the bars, the sheriff’s office said.

Hodges was eventually caught by authorities in Laurens County, South Carolina, on Thursday.  A license plate reader led to his arrest.

“We had the idea he was down in South Carolina; we just didn’t know where,” Houchin said. “The license plate readers gave us the information we needed at that point in time.”

Hodges is currently awaiting extradition back to Nebraska.