Police: EC woman found with expensive stolen oriental rugs
Dec. 6—EAU CLAIRE — An Eau Claire woman was found to be in possession of two stolen oriental rugs valued at $17,000, police say.
Tammy L. Wilder, 50, 849 Malden St., was charged recently in Eau Claire County Court with felony counts of receiving stolen property and bail jumping.
A $5,000 signature bond was set for Wilder, who cannot have contact with the victim.
Wilder returns to court Dec. 15.
According to the criminal complaint:
A man told police on Oct. 20 that his Eau Claire residence had been broken into on three different occasions and numerous items were stolen.
Besides the two rugs, silverware, two large lightning rods, a hand-painted German jar, a silver box, two antique toothpick holders, an ash tray, a drawer full of sunglasses, and an abundance of jewelry, bracelets and costumes were also taken.
The man told police on Nov. 18 that one of the rugs may be at Wilder's residence. The man said he had seen part of the rug in a photo that Wilder had posted to Facebook.
Police and probation agents went to Wilder's residence on Nov. 29 and saw both rugs there.
Wilder said she was aware that the two rugs were stolen from the man's residence and that she and the man used to hang out together.
Wilder denied knowing the rugs were stolen and said she bought them from another man.
Wilder said she was supposed to pay $1,000 for the rugs. She had only paid $300 and the other man's family was looking to get the rugs back.
Wilder acknowledged she was aware the rugs were expensive.
At the time of this incident, Wilder was free on bond for a pending felony case in Eau Claire County. As a condition of that bond, Wilder was prohibited from committing any new crimes.
Wilder is being prosecuted as a repeat offender. She was convicted of a felony count of possession of methamphetamine in September 2019 in St. Croix County.
If convicted of the two new charges, Wilder could be sentenced to up to eight years in prison.
