The last suspect in a five-member burglary ring that was responsible for a series of daytime break-ins last year in the Southtowns was sentenced Friday to 3½ years in prison.
State Supreme Court Justice Penny M. Wolfgang imposed the prison term on Joseph Harden, 19, of North Ogden Street, who had admitted breaking into four homes, trying to enter another and planning to hit two others between May 15 and June 19 in Orchard Park, Holland, Marilla, Wales, Concord and Boston.
The judge sentenced him to 3½ years in prison on each of four counts of second-degree burglary, two years on one count of attempted second-degree burglary and one to three years on each of two counts of fourth-degree conspiracy to commit burglary. She ordered the sentences to run concurrently.
Harden and other ring members, who all lived in Buffalo’s Lovejoy neighborhood, drove to secluded homes during the day, knocked on their doors and kicked them in when no one answered, said Erie County Assistant District Attorney Paul E. Bonanno. They then stole items and sold them at pawnshops, Bonanno said.
Four of the suspects were arrested in June at a Yellow Goose store on Route 20A in Marilla, shortly after a woman alerted the Sheriff’s Office to their suspicious behavior. A fifth was arrested in January after he was indicted. They all pleaded guilty.
The main suspect, Sean Guthrie, 21, of East Lovejoy Street, was sentenced last month to six years in prison; Daniel Lauber, 22, of Gold Street, got four years; and Jeremy Agosto, 22, of Greene Street, got six months in jail followed by five years’ probation.
A 17-year-old suspect was sentenced to six months in jail followed by five years’ probation. He was granted youthful offender status, sealing his criminal record.
email: jstaas@buffnews.com
State Supreme Court Justice Penny M. Wolfgang imposed the prison term on Joseph Harden, 19, of North Ogden Street, who had admitted breaking into four homes, trying to enter another and planning to hit two others between May 15 and June 19 in Orchard Park, Holland, Marilla, Wales, Concord and Boston.
The judge sentenced him to 3½ years in prison on each of four counts of second-degree burglary, two years on one count of attempted second-degree burglary and one to three years on each of two counts of fourth-degree conspiracy to commit burglary. She ordered the sentences to run concurrently.
Harden and other ring members, who all lived in Buffalo’s Lovejoy neighborhood, drove to secluded homes during the day, knocked on their doors and kicked them in when no one answered, said Erie County Assistant District Attorney Paul E. Bonanno. They then stole items and sold them at pawnshops, Bonanno said.
Four of the suspects were arrested in June at a Yellow Goose store on Route 20A in Marilla, shortly after a woman alerted the Sheriff’s Office to their suspicious behavior. A fifth was arrested in January after he was indicted. They all pleaded guilty.
The main suspect, Sean Guthrie, 21, of East Lovejoy Street, was sentenced last month to six years in prison; Daniel Lauber, 22, of Gold Street, got four years; and Jeremy Agosto, 22, of Greene Street, got six months in jail followed by five years’ probation.
A 17-year-old suspect was sentenced to six months in jail followed by five years’ probation. He was granted youthful offender status, sealing his criminal record.
email: jstaas@buffnews.com