SALEM — A nanny from Salem has been charged with stealing more than $40,000 worth of jewelry from two different families while working at homes in Manchester and Peabody.
Melissa Shaktman, 23, of 44 Butler St. — known as "Melissa S." on the popular baby sitter-search website Sittercity.com — pleaded not guilty Friday to a string of larceny and receiving stolen property charges lodged by Manchester and Salem police.
Peabody police also plan to charge Shaktman with larceny stemming from her work in a home there earlier this month.
Police say she received $650 in November from a Salem pawn shop for a platinum, ruby and diamond bracelet and diamond necklace with an insurance appraisal of $31,000.
She is also accused of taking diamond earrings from the Manchester home, and the total loss was more than $34,000, according to Manchester police Detective Richard Newton's report.
The Manchester woman, who had hired Shaktman from the website listing, discovered the missing jewelry while getting ready for a dinner party on Dec. 5. The jewelry was missing from a safe in the bedroom, she told police.
She told police that she had recently fired a nanny.
Police eventually were able to identify Shaktman through details she had given to the woman, who knew her only as Melissa S.
Even as she was being questioned about the thefts in Manchester, however, Shaktman got a new job baby-sitting, this time for a Peabody family.
According to Peabody police Detective Ralph Scopa's report, Shaktman took a number of items, including jewelry from a home there, with a total value of more than $8,000.
At first, she denied stealing anything when questioned by Newton, prosecutor Patrick Collins said. After the third time she spoke to police, she admitted taking jewelry, but "was not totally truthful," Collins said.
Had she disclosed where she had pawned the jewelry, there might have been a chance to recover it before it was re-sold, police said.
Shaktman told police she was in a financial bind after her food stamps were cut off.
Salem police Lt. Conrad Prosniewski said they are charging Shaktman with larceny because the Salem pawn shop owner had paid her for items that he then had to turn over to police.
Other items had apparently been pawned at a kiosk at the Northshore Mall, according to police reports.
A lawyer representing Shaktman, John Morris, said yesterday that she was cooperative and confessed "once she knew the jig was up."
Morris said Shaktman, who grew up in Topsfield, graduated from Masconomet Regional High School and had spent two years at North Shore Community College studying child care.
He also said that she had been suffering from anxiety after a pair of "abusive relationships."
According to her Sittercity profile, Shaktman underwent a background check and has a toddler and preschool teaching certificate and experience at three local day care facilities.
Judge Michael Lauranzano set bail at $5,000 cash, an amount her family may be able to post, Morris said.
Lauranzano also ordered that if she makes bail, Shaktman is not allowed to perform any type of domestic work while the case is pending.
She's due back in court Feb. 24.
Julie Manganis may be reached at jmanganis@gloucestertimes.com.
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