Originally facing five felony counts of first-degree burglary, Chase Powers, 21, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree burglary, a misdemeanor, as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.
The suspended sentence means that the conviction will be cleared from his record if he stays out of trouble for the next two years. If he’s convicted of another offense in that time, he could be sentenced to up to two years in prison on the burglary charge.
Powers has no prior criminal record.
Authorities say that Powers and 20-year-old Travis Pew, a former University of Alaska Fairbanks basketball player, stole cash and electronics from dorm rooms in March 2008.
Surveillance cameras caught the men entering rooms in Moore Hall and stealing high-priced electronics, including a laptop and a Sony PlayStation, according to court records. One of the victims reportedly was asleep in his room at the time and confronted the suspects as they were leaving the dorm.
Powers attended Friday’s hearing telephonically from Bethel. He did not make a statement to the court before sentencing.
Burglary charges are pending against Pew.
Neither man has been a registered UAF student since the spring 2008 semester.
Contact staff writer Chris Freiberg at 459-7545.
It would really help with the 'community service' sentences, not to mention assist city and state governments with cleaning up their areas and attenuating manpower shortages.