Woman arrested for theft of local ponies

Indiana State Police arrested a New Hampshire woman after she was extradited back to Indiana on the theft from of Randolph County resident of miniature ponies .

Detective Kent Havens, Criminal Investigation Division (Redkey District) was contacted on June 22, 2007 by a Union City, Ind. woman stating she sold six miniature ponies for $5,650 via an internet pay service used by the suspect.

Pamela Robie, 34, of 40 Veasey Road Hebron, N.H., arranged with Tonya Magee, a Randolph County resident, to purchase five ponies on April 14, 2006 for $4,650 and one pony on May 2, 2006 for an additional $1,000. The victim and Robie signed purchase agreements on the five ponies, but not the sixth pony.

Robie paid for the ponies via an online pay service using her credit card in the amount of $5,650. She arranged for the ponies to be shipped from Indiana to New Hampshire using a private carrier from Texas on May 6, 2006.

On October 6, 2006 the online pay service notified the victim that Robie charged back the $4,650 and the $1,000 on October 13, 2006, and the pay service demanded payment from the victim.

The victim contacted Robie multiple times and demanded the ponies' safe return, but was assured by the suspect she wanted to keep them, and would set up a payment plan. The victim hired an attorney who was unsuccessful in retrieving the monies or ponies. During the course of the investigation, it was learned that the private carrier also was bilked out of $1,000.

Havens completed the investigation and turned it over to the Randolph Prosecutor's Office for review. On February 29, 2008 a warrant for Robie's arrest was issued from Randolph Circuit Court, charging her with one count of theft, a class "D" felony.

She was arrested March 25, 2008 by New Hampshire State Police and waved extradition back to Indiana. Robie drove to Indiana and turned herself in Monday at the Randolph County Jail, posted a $5,000 bond and was released.