AUGUSTA — An Augusta man who pawned stolen tools in exchange for heroin and cash has avoided jail time because of his rehabilitation efforts but must pay more than $11,000 in restitution.
John Howard, 39, was sentenced Wednesday at the Capital Judicial Center to a fully suspended five-year prison term and two years of probation.
He pleaded guilty on April 8 to a charge of theft by receiving stolen property. The offense occurred Sept. 12, 2014 in Augusta.
According to a sentencing memo by Howard’s defense attorney, Kevin Sullivan, Howard took tools that Franklin Arbour Jr. had stolen and sold or pawned them at various locations, including pawn shops in Maine and at least one each in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
The tools were taken in a burglary at a commercial construction site in North Augusta.
Arbour, 39, of Augusta, was sentenced Oct. 15 at the Capital Judicial Center to 18 years, with the rest of his 25-year sentence suspended. He was ordered to serve four years of probation after his release. Arbour had been convicted of seven drug offenses, including trafficking.
Sullivan’s memo said that since Howard’s arrest 13 months ago, he has rehabilitated himself with the aid of an outpatient program. He also has been working full time.
“It is a unique and infrequent situation when we have a defendant out on bail for a felony theft and probation violation for over a year who is actually able to document his success with treatment and employment,” District Attorney Maeghan Maloney said in an email Thursday. “I applaud him for his success and I hope it continues.”
Betty Adams can be contacted at 621-5631 or at:
badams@centralmaine.com
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