CANDIA - A Salem man was arrested by Candia Police on suspicion of having stolen $1,700 in jewelry and two firearms from a Candia resident.

Michael Foye, 36, was arrested by Candia Police Nov. 7 after being previously incarcerated by Salem Police Oct. 12 on separate charges of forgery, receiving stolen property and theft by deception. He was arraigned the same day and charged with felony theft.

Police began investigating Foye after the victim, who has not been named, approached Candia Police Oct. 3. The victim became suspicious of Foye, a day laborer who worked for the alleged victim, in September, after business checks began to disappear and were cashed at Salem and Bedford banks. The victim had lent Foye his truck, where the checks had been, in the previous weeks.

The victim approached police and said he suspected Foye burglarized his home, stole an Omega gold chain, a number of rings, and two semi-automatic handguns.

Foye worked for the victim's construction firm and had been helping with renovations at the victim's home in September.

Candia Police Sgt. Scott Gallagher took the lead on the case, coordinating with Salem Police Sgt Gallagher. Salem Police reviewed Foye's pawn records, leading police to a Salem pawn shop where $1,700 worth of jewelry was later identified by the victim's wife as her own.

The firearms have not been recovered.

According to the police affidavit, Foye admitted to taking the checks. He told a Salem police officer that he had cashed one and wrote the other out to his roommate for rent, according to the affidavit. After being shown the recovered jewelry, he also admitted to the theft, which he had previously denied, police said. Foye has denied any involvement in the missing firearms.

Foye is being held at the Rockingham County Jail in Brentwood on $20,000 cash bail. He is scheduled for a probable cause hearing in 10th Circuit Court, Candia District Division, Nov. 21 at 10 a.m.