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Jury begins deliberations in alleged Palm Desert staged robbery trial

Published July 31, 2018 4:21 PM

Jurors will begin deliberations today in the trial of a man accused of orchestrating a break-in at the Palm Desert coin dealer business where he worked and claiming that two men tied him up and stole merchandise.

Martin Anthony Sarver, 49, of Indio, is accused of working with two other men to pull off the Oct. 15, 2015, break-in at Ed’s Coins. He faces a felony count of embezzlement and a misdemeanor count of making a false report to police.

Sarver told investigators that two robbers bound him by his wrists and ankles, then stole “numerous collectible U.S. currency coins and notes, along with the security video recorder for the store,” according to an arrest warrant declaration.

Two co-defendants, Jesse Telles, 41, and Brian Ramirez, 29, have since pleaded guilty to felony burglary counts. Investigators said phone calls and documents allegedly connecting them to Sarver were discovered, including phone calls between Sarver and Telles that prosecutors say occurred as soon as 12 minutes prior to the robbery.

Two months following the robbery, investigators searched Sarver’s home and car and found stolen property from Ed’s Coins and documents linking him to Telles, according to the arrest warrant declaration, which says items “stolen during the Ed’s Coins robbery” were also recovered at Ramirez’s home.