A Neptune man was sentenced for a burglary at the home of his ex-girlfriend’s mother. Police reports say that the man and several of his friends entered the home uninvited on Dec. 5, 2011, and insisted on knowing where the resident’s daughter was. The woman stated that she told them that she did not know her daughter’s whereabouts. One of the men told her that her daughter owed him an extensive amount of money, possibly in relation to drug smuggling, according to records.
The witness told police officers that the man on trial took an iPad, a phone and a work apron containing the money that the woman had earned in restaurant tips that day. She also told investigators that the men went into the detached garage and removed the keys from a vehicle’s ignition. One of the men, a Norwood resident, was taken into custody later at his home, while the other men were taken into custody in the parking lot of a local business.
Two of the co-defendants pleaded guilty to a lesser charge which brought the charges down to a misdemeanor. Both men were held on a $20,000 bond and were freed until their sentencing hearings on Jan. 13. The charges were dropped against the Norwood man. The ex-boyfriend was sentenced to four years in prison on Nov. 12 for his alleged role in the burglary.
The criminal defense for the two who pleaded guilty appears to have have argued for a plea agreement or a reduced sentence. The ex-boyfriend could choose to ask his attorney to appeal the case to a higher court to try to get his sentence reduced as well.