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Man Sentenced For Stealing From Deceased Couple's Home

(WCCO) -- A 29-year-old Newport man has been sentenced for stealing more than $1,000 in items from the home of an elderly couple who had passed away.

Jason Williams was sentenced by the Dakota County District Court to five years probation, 23 days of electronic home monitoring and he must perform 20 days of community service.

Williams stole jewelry, a box of photo lockets of WWI-era pictures and two watches with the couple's initials engraved in them on Dec. 31, 2010.

According to the complaint, West St. Paul Police responded to the residential neighborhood on a report of a man who was walking through the backyard of a neighbor's home, before walking towards the deceased couple's home.

The home was still fully furnished and contained all the possessions of the couple, pending the resolution of their estate.

When officers drove towards Williams, they said he was looking around and kept changing directions. He told officers he was coming from a friend's home and was waiting for another friend to pick him up to go to work. Williams could not give officers the address or street name of his friend's home.

When police began to pat Williams down for weapons, an officer ran his hand across his left jeans pocket and was pierced by something sharp sticking through the pocket. It was later determined that gold-colored jewelry was bulging through Williams' pocket.

Officers checked the home and found fresh damage to the rear door and said inside the home appeared to be ransacked.

Williams told police he got everything that was in his pockets from his mother the previous day.

Williams was charged with second-degree burglary and receiving stolen property.

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