Burglar sentenced to state prison
A Butler man, charged alongside his wife with using their newspaper delivery route to break into two homes, was sentenced to state prison in Butler County Court on Thursday.
Robert M. Woodruff, 37, was sentenced to four to eight years in a state correctional facility by county Judge William Shaffer. Woodruff previously pleaded guilty to felony former convict not to possess a firearm and two counts of felony burglary on July 18.
He also was ordered to pay $629.65 in restitution.
Woodruff was initially charged alongside his wife, Jamie L. Woodruff, 28, also of Butler, after incidents on Oct. 10 and 11, 2016.
State police said the couple was using its paper route to target unoccupied homes, breaking into one in the 600 block of Calico Road in Washington Township and a second in the 300 block of Peaceful Valley Road in Washington Township, stealing guns, jewelry, money and other items.
The first burglary happened Oct. 10 or 11 at a home in the 600 block of Calico Road, and was discovered after the owners' daughter checked on the home and found an open door, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
Among the property taken was a rifle, shotgun, jewelry, silver coins including half dollars and numerous $2 bills, the document states.
The next day, police answered a burglary alarm at the Peaceful Valley Road home and found forced entry through a basement window, and jewelry had been stolen, according to court documents.
An employee of Thompson's Market in West Sunbury provided a key clue to the identity of the suspects, police said, when he noticed a customer paying with several $2 bills.
Investigators reviewed store surveillance video and got a still photograph of the suspect. The man again showed up at the store the following day, and left in a black Chevrolet Trailblazer, police said.
The vehicle was found at a home on Main Street, and Robert Woodruff was identified coming from another house, which police believed he was casing for another burglary.
When confronted by police, he claimed he was delivering newspapers.
When police confronted Jamie Woodruff, documents said, she began crying and repeatedly stated, “I knew this would happen.”
The documents state that Jamie Woodruff soon confessed to the burglaries, handing over a ring, two bracelets and a necklace that she was wearing, and telling police that the two stolen firearms had been taken to their home. Those items, police said, as well as more jewelry and several half-dollar coins in her purse were some of the stolen loot.
Robert Woodruff gave a similar confession.
The felony gun possession charge comes as Robert Woodruff is a felon, baring him from possessing firearms.
He was held in the Butler County Prison on $55,000 straight cash bail.
Jamie Woodruff is awaiting further court action.
