A Hilliards man was sentenced to five years of probation Thursday in Butler County Common Pleas Court.

Patrick J. Butcherine, 40, faced charges stemming from a string of January 2025 break-ins involving a fire hall and a local residence.

Judge Maura Palumbi ordered the sentence.

Palumbi presided over Butcherine’s non-jury trial on March 4 this year and found him guilty of a felony count of criminal trespass. Palumbi dismissed three other charges.

State police filed four charges against Butcherine for accessing the Marion Township Volunteer Fire Company social hall through a window on Jan. 24. He left after being confronted by firefighters. He then accessed a Middendorf Street home through a door designed to keep people out, police said.

A firefighter and the homeowner removed Butcherine from the residence and detained him until police arrived, according to an affidavit. Police said Butcherine admitted to using marijuana and Suboxone, a medication to treat opioid dependence.

In addition to the sentence, she ordered Butcherine to have no contact with the victim and prohibited him from the Middendorf Street home.