A 19-year-old man was sentenced to 60 days in jail and three years of community control Friday in Delaware County Common Pleas Court after he pleaded guilty to four burglary charges in December.
Edward Mark Green, of Powell, appeared in court Friday morning for a sentencing hearing after he entered a guilty plea to three counts of burglary, one second degree felony and two third-degree felonies and one count of attempted burglary, a fourth-degree felony at a change of plea hearing on Dec. 6.
Green said at the change of plea hearing that in July he and a 17-year-old friend had been smoking marijuana and driving around Powell when his friend decided to cut screens on windows of homes and go inside to steal purses and other items.
Powell police reported in July that Green and his friend were responsible for a July 7 break-in on Ascott Court, a pair of break-ins on July 10 at Coldwater Drive, and Gediz Drive. Police say the break-ins occurred overnight while residents slept.
As a condition of the plea agreement with prosecutors, four counts of theft, two counts of receiving stolen property and a charge of identity fraud were dismissed.
At the hearing on Friday, Green’s attorney, Jeffrey Uhrich, said that Green had several issues including with drugs that motivated the burglaries and said that Green is not a “career criminal.” He asked Delaware County Common Pleas Court Judge David Gormley to not to send Green to prison for the charges.
“They’ll eat him alive,” Uhrich said, adding that prison will likely train him to be a career criminal. Uhrich said a treatment facility in California had accepted Green into their drug rehabilitation program and Uhrich asked that Green be placed on community control so he could get help in the treatment program.
Green extended an apology to two victims who appeared in court Friday and said he was embarrassed to be in this situation.
The two victims also spoke Friday and one said she has had trouble feeling secure in her home and her husband said he found Green and his attorney’s excuses to be “sad” and said some jail time for Green should be required.
After considering all the factors, Gormley sentenced Green to 60 days in the Delaware County Jail and three years of community control for the charges. Gormley also ordered that Green pay restitution to the victims in the amount of $1,894 and perform 60 hours of community service.
Additionally, Gormley ordered that when Green completes his jail time he is to report to the treatment facility and complete the treatment program. Gormley said the pre-sentence report revealed that Green had consumed marijuana while he was out on bail and warned Green that if he violates the terms of his community control sentence he could be sent to prison for up to four years.
Green was taken into custody after the hearing on Friday and had begun serving his jail sentence.
His friend has reportedly been adjudicated in Delaware County Juvenile Court.
