Suspect in rash of local burglaries bound over with added charges
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The man suspected of committing 19 local burglaries back in the early morning hours of May 14 has been bound over for trial with the state adding additional charges. Joseph Paul Jones Jr. is now charged with a total of 45 charges. That includes the original 19 counts of burglary. The state then added two additional felony counts, which includes felony theft and felony criminal damage to property. The rest are various misdemeanor charges of criminal damage and theft.
The state alleges that between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m., 20 local businesses were entered by prying open doors or breaking the glass windows with a crow bar. Jones allegedly cut the telephone lines on several of the businesses before making entry. During the investigation, police found surveillance video of the suspect entering Papa Murphy’s Pizza located in the State Fair Shopping Center at 2420 N. Main. Pictures were taken from the video and sent to his parole officer in Missouri and that officer testified that it’s a high probability that it was Jones involved in the local burglaries.
Once he was bound over, he was immediately taken before Judge Trish Rose where he was arraigned on all the charges and entered “not guilty” pleas. The judge then set a trial date of Jan. 20, 2015.
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Topeka man pleads “no contest” to escape at HCF
Lucas
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 45-year-old Topeka man scheduled for a jury trial after he escaped from the Hutchinson Correctional Facility entered a “no contest” plea Tuesday instead.
Mark Lucas has been serving time for multiple burglaries and thefts out of Shawnee County and entered the plea in front of Judge Trish Rose to “aggravated escape from custody” for walking away from Hutchinson Correctional Facility back on Aug. 3, 2013. He was captured a few days later in Topeka. He was found missing during an informal count that was being conducted at the H.C.F. South Unit which houses minimum custody inmates.
Lucas claimed at his preliminary hearing that he walked away because his daughter was suicidal and he was trying to help her. Lucas had contacted D.O.C. officials while in Topeka and other law enforcement and made arrangements to surrender, which he did. He was then brought back to Hutchinson.
He faces a potential sentence of just over 11 years in prison according to Senior Assistant District Attorney Steve Maxwell. That sentence would run consecutive to the sentence he’s currently serving for numerous convictions for burglary and theft. There were a total of 19 total charges in the Shawnee County case. He still has around eight years in prison to serve on that sentence and the new sentence will add to that.
Judge Rose says she set sentencing for Jan. 9.
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Ex-convict arrested after drug raid expected in court Wednesday
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 26-year-old parolee man arrested last week on suspicion of being in possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to package, possession of marijuana, obstruction and no drug tax stamp is expected back in court Wednesday for the formal reading of charges.
DeCarlos Colbert was arrested after a search warrant was served on his apartment at 507 E. 3rd. Drug Unit Detectives allege that they found 12 individual bags, each containing a crystal substance with a total weight of around 126 grams. Also located in a bedroom was an open box of sandwich bags and a digital scale with residue. In the living room, they allegedly found a grinder with green vegetation, which tested positive for marijuana.
While they were serving the search warrant, Colbert apparently drove up to the residence and, as they tried to make contact with him, he struggled with them and then took off running, however, he was quickly captured.
Bond in the case is set at $11,500.
He’s been in prison for the sale of drugs from a case in Sedgwick County going back to 2008. He was paroled here in Hutchinson back in May of last year. The sentence in the Sedgwick County case expired in May of this year.