A married couple who posed as home shoppers and went to open houses in central Ohio to steal goods were sentenced to three years of probation Wednesday in Delaware County Common Pleas Court.
Krista Gullufsen, 34, and her husband, Zachary, 33, of 996 Meadow Thrush Drive, Clayton, agreed to plead guilty to five counts of burglaries, all third-degree felonies, as part of a plea deal with prosecutors. Other charges were dismissed.
Originally, they had each been charged eight counts of burglary, which were second-degree felonies; four counts of theft, which were fifth-degree felonies; four counts of theft, which were fourth-degree felonies; and two counts of misdemeanor theft, first-degree misdemeanors.
Judge Everett Krueger sentenced the couple to three years of community control and ordered them to pay a $1,000 fine.
Krueger also ordered the couple to pay $8,495 in restitution and serve 300 hours of community service.
The couple was ordered to begin serving their sentences immediately.
The couple was indicted on Jan. 30. They entered not guilty pleas at their arraignments in February. The couple posted bond — set at $20,000 each — and were released from Delaware County Jail on Feb. 13.
“The couple traveled from their residence in Clayton, Ohio, to attend open houses in the central Ohio area,” said Delaware County First Assistant Prosecutor Kyle Rohrer. “When the homeowners returned, they reported items such as jewelry and prescription drugs missing.”
The indictment specifies the crimes occurred on Oct. 19 and Oct. 26, 2014, coinciding with multiple open house events, prosecutors said.
Rohrer said Delaware County sheriff’s deputies, along with officers from the Dublin, Shawnee Hills and Genoa Township departments, cooperated in the investigation.
