GREENVILLE — A Greenville man was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of burglary.
Appearing Thursday in Darke County Common Pleas Court, Peter N. Cheadle, 28, agreed to plead guilty to two, third-degree felony burglary charges, with two other felony charges dismissed. A jury trial had been scheduled to begin July 25.
Cheadle was represented in court by defense attorney Dave Rohrer. Assistant Prosecutor Deborah Quigley spoke for the state.
As part of the agreement, the defense and prosecution agreed Cheadle should serve a two-year prison sentence, with credit for 79 days already served. Cheadle must also pay court costs and restitution of $28,578.02 for property and cash losses suffered by the homeowners, which their insurance would not cover.
Cheadle was arrested May 2. He is the last of four co-defendants — including Tesla Fox, Michael Bowles and Terry Goodpaster — sentenced for a series of January burglaries. Goodpaster received a four-and-a-half year prison sentence, while Bowles will serve four years. Fox was sentenced to five years of community control.
The hearing went directly from a change of plea to sentencing, as Rohrer told the court his client wished to begin serving his sentence “as soon as possible.”
Rohrer said the agreement between the defense and prosecution for a sentence shorter than that two of his co-defendants was because he had no prior felonies.
“I think he recognizes, your honor, that he got involved with some really wrong people, some defendants that are well-known in this county for committing crimes before,” said Rohrer.
Judge Jonathan P. Hein agreed to allow Cheadle, as a first-time felon, to participate in a risk reduction sentencing program while in prison, meaning he could earn credit toward early release if successful. Cheadle will be subject to a mandatory three years of post-release supervision.
