A 17-year-old Hutchinson man already convicted and sentenced for being involved with numerous church burglaries and ordered to prison after being caught doing similar crimes, entered pleas Friday in the latest case.
Joshua Hickey entered “guilty” pleas to 3 counts of burglary, while the state dropped the other charges including 1-count of arson, 2-counts of criminal damage, 1-count of felony criminal damage, 3-counts of misdemeanor theft, 3-counts of contributing to a child’s misconduct or deprivation, 1-count of unlawful possession of a prescription, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The case had been set for trial on August 20 and that had been continued, but Hickey has now been convicted of three more counts of burglary.
It was seven hours after being released from jail in the earlier case, that Hickey allegedly broke into a local grocery store and two churches. That included burglaries of Dillon’s 1319 North Main, Trinity United Methodist church, 1602 N. Main and the First Church of Christ Scientist located at 1400 N. Main.
Hickey had been granted 24-months community corrections on a 32-month sentence in the earlier case. He then violated his corrections and was given a 30-day sanction by Judge Tim Chambers. That didn’t work so well resulting in the new charges. Judge Chambers then ordered the sentence be served.
Sentencing on the three additional counts of burglary will be on October 4, and according to his attorney, he will not seek any type of departure. Also, as part of that sentence, he may be ordered to pay additional amounts of restitution.