Sentenced to four months in jail
One person who was arrested earlier this month on charges in connection with a Gillette Woods robbery in Tryon pled guilty last week.
Karen Phillips Byrd, 38, of Chesnee, S.C., pled guilty to reduced charges in Polk County District Court on Wednesday, March 23.

Byrd pled guilty to two counts of possession of stolen goods and was sentenced to 120 days in jail. The original charges included felony larceny, breaking and/or entering and one count of possession of stolen goods. Byrd will be given credit for time she has already served.
John Jacob Kessler, 42, of Hendersonville is still in custody at the Greenville County Detention Center for the same Gillette Woods robbery as well as several others in the Lake Lanier and Gillette Woods area that occurred in February. Kessler has been charged by the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office with grand larceny, three counts of second-degree burglary and one count of petit larceny. Kessler will also face the same charges as Byrd for the Tryon break-in following the Greenville County charges.
No court date has yet been scheduled for Kessler in Greenville County.
Kessler is accused of breaking into homes at Lake Lanier and Gillette Woods in February. The crimes occurred during the day when no one was at home. Items taken included mostly jewelry. Neighbors began talking about the break-ins and a silver Honda with different license plates was identified as a suspicious vehicle.
One victim also knew Kessler, and when the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and Tryon Police Department began searching Kessler’s name in South Carolina pawn shops, some of the stolen items were recovered, according to Tryon Police Chief Jeff Arrowood. Kessler was arrested on March 1 in Greenville County.
Law enforcement officials credited area residents with helping to solve the case.