One member of the Columbus trio accused of a couple of burglaries in Delaware County appeared in court Wednesday and pleaded not guilty.
Joshua E. Devoe, 28, was arraigned Wednesday afternoon in Delaware County Common Pleas Court in front of visiting Judge Robert Wilson. A trial date of Sept. 8 was scheduled.
Prosecutors still won’t say how many burglaries in Delaware County that they believe the trio is responsible for.
Prosecutors told Wilson that on June 24, deputies from the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office were tracking Devoe and two others, Beau K. Lutz, 26, and Kristin N. Clifford, 24, as they drove onto several driveways in the area of 3 Bs & K Road in Berkshire Township. Assistant Prosecutor Mark Sleeper said deputies visited the homes after the trio left and found signs of forced entry and missing items.
The trio was then pulled over and Devoe attempted to flee on foot before seeing police dogs and surrendering to officers.
They were taken into custody and charged with burglary and theft.
They were indicted on July 10 and charged with two counts of burglary, which are second-degree felonies; and two counts of theft — one of which is a fifth-degree felony, the other a first-degree misdemeanor.
Sleeper also told Wilson that Devoe has faced felony charges for theft, breaking and entering and receiving stolen property before and has served prison time for some of those offenses.
Wilson set Devoe’s bond at $20,000 and stipulated that he must pay the full amount.
Devoe will be tried alongside Clifford and Lutz. Lutz appeared in Delaware County Common Pleas Court on Monday and pleaded not guilty. His bond was set at $10,000.
Clifford is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday at 4:15 p.m.
All three are currently being held in the Delaware County Jail.
Sleeper said the items stolen on June 24 were recovered by authorities.
Sleeper said it’s too early to say how many burglaries were pulled off by the trio before their arrests.
Sleeper estimated the trial would take two days.
