A 25-year-old Carroll County man who stole more than $14,000 worth of items from several homes in the Winston area last spring received a 30-year sentence on Monday, according to Douglas County District Attorney David McDade.
Christopher Charles Butler will serve the first 15 years of his sentence in prison. Superior Court Judge David T. Emerson accepted the State’s recommendation after Butler entered a guilty plea to three counts of Burglary and two counts of Attempted Burglary. The ruling also requires the defendant to pay $14,433.17 in restitution.
Butler’s codefendant, Robert McIntire II, 24, received a 20-year sentence on similar charges in February. McIntire is required to serve the first nine years of his term in custody and pay restitution.
Butler and his co-defendant broke into three Winston residences on April 20, 2011, and two other homes in early May. Assistant District Attorney Bonnie Smith told the court that authorities found similarities in all five incidents, including the description of a gold Kia getaway vehicle that was spotted in Carroll County.
“[Carroll County officials] were able to locate that vehicle and the tag came back to a Patrina Alexander,” said Assistant District Attorney Smith, who explained Alexander had been arrested by Carroll County officials for pawning stolen items. “On her visitation list was this defendant, which is how we began looking at Mr. Butler.”
Authorities began tracking Butler in the gold Kia Optima, which he drove to various pawn shops to pawn stolen items. Butler and McIntire were eventually arrested after the GPS tracking device caught them both trying to burglarize another home. Stolen items belonging to the victims of the Winston burglaries were also recovered during a search of Alexander’s home.
While being questioned, Butler’s co-defendant admitted to the duo’s involvement in the burglaries. In addition to his conviction in Douglas County, Butler is currently serving a 20-year sentence on burglary charges in Carroll County.
Heard anything about former Douglas County Commissioner Freddie Ashmon, Jr. going to trial for forgery? And Freddie was never tried for attacking a citizen at a town hall meeting because the citizen dared to question him about all the commission meetings he missed but was being paid for. And inmates die in the Douglas County jail and millions are paid out (when attorneys for the family become involved) and it is all kept quiet? Is the sheriff going on trial for any of this?
I just wish the politicians and govt. employees got the same treatment the rest of us do.