The man charged with breaking into K & M Jewelry on West Broad Street in June pleaded guilty under a negotiated settlement Monday in criminal court and received an eight year sentence.
39 year Comer T. Vance entered a guilty plea to charges of theft and burglary. He received an eight year sentence on the theft charge and six years for burglary. The two sentences are to run concurrently as an eight year term. Charges of vandalism and unlawful possession of a handgun against him were dropped. The eight year sentence is to run consecutive to a sentence Vance is currently serving
At the time of the arrest, Smithville Police Investigator Jerry Hutchins, Jr. said sometime during the early morning hours of Thursday, June 25th, someone (believed to be Vance) entered the business by removing plywood covering a window. Once inside, a safe, containing jewelry, was taken from the store. The intruder also busted out glass in the display cases and removed more jewelry. The total value of the stolen jewelry was estimated at $100,000.
The owner of the business, Mark Violet, discovered the burglary and theft when he arrived to open up the store later that morning..
As a result of the investigation and with assistance from an informant, Vance was identified as a suspect in the crime. Police spotted Vance, who was as a passenger in a Ford Thunderbird, on West Broad Street Saturday, June 27th. The car was pulled over and Vance, also charged in warrants unrelated to the burglary case, was taken into custody. Police confiscated a stolen nine millimeter handgun, which was loaded. Most of the jewelry taken in the break-in at K & M. Jewelry was also recovered.
Sergeant Joey Jones assisted in the traffic stop that led to Vance’s arrest.
Meanwhile in other cases Monday in criminal court, 20 year old Jeremy Shelton pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and received a three year sentence, all suspended to supervised probation except for time served. He was given jail credit of 120 days.
35 year old Scotty Neisz pleaded guilty to theft under $500 and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days to run concurrently with a sentence he is now serving.
48 year old Jeffery W. Burton pleaded guilty to theft over $1,000 and received two years to serve. The term is to run concurrently with sentences he is now serving in the Tennessee Department of Corrections. He was given jail credit for time already served and he must make restitution of $2,648.
24 year old Nicole M. Reynolds, charged with simple possession of a schedule IV controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, was granted judicial diversion and will be on probation for 11 months and 29 days. She must pay a $250 fine.
42 year old Melissa Petty pleaded guilty to simple possession of a schedule II controlled substance. She received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days on probation to run concurrently with a sentence she is now serving. All jail time was suspended.
43 year old Tammy D. Miller pleaded guilty to simple possession of a schedule II controlled substance. She received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days on probation to run concurrently with a sentence she is now serving. All jail time was suspended.
23 year old Brandon M. Jennings pleaded guilty to reckless driving and received a six month sentence, all suspended except for 30 days to serve. The sentence is to run concurrently with a Tennessee Department of Corrections sentence against him. He must pay a fine of $250. Jennings must also undergo an alcohol and drug assessment and continue to attend AA meetings. He was given jail credit back to May 29th.
38 year old Patricia Hicks pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days, all suspended to good behavior probation.
44 year old Leland Todd Hasty pleaded guilty to a second offense of driving under the influence and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days, suspended except for 45 days to serve. He will then be on supervised probation. He will lose his drivers license for two years and he must pay a fine of $610. Hasty will serve 17 days and then be furloughed to rehab.
The presiding judge Monday was David Patterson.
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