A 27-year-old man was sentenced Wednesday to 19 months in prison for burglarizing churches in Camas and Washougal in the spring and for previously stealing items from a Washougal business.
Alexander W. Sampson of Camas appeared in Clark County Superior Court to be sentenced on three counts of second-degree burglary, one count of second-degree theft and two counts of first-degree trafficking in stolen property. He pleaded guilty to the charges July 1.
Sampson was accused of burglarizing at least four churches, each on a different night, between April 28 and May 14. However, he only pleaded guilty to burglarizing the Church of the Nazarene, 2204 N.E. Birch St., and St. John’s Presbyterian, 1206 N.E. Birch St., in Camas, and Gateway Community Church, 1235 E St., Washougal.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed in Superior Court, Sampson told police that he stole electronics, musical instruments, money, Bibles and other items.
Washougal police had located Sampson and interviewed him for an unrelated theft investigation. At that time, he apparently admitted to burglarizing the churches. He told police he traded or pawned the stolen items for drugs and money, the affidavit said.
Police searched Sampson’s home and recovered some of the stolen property. They said that several stolen items had already been returned to one of the churches since the burglary. Sampson also helped officers recover other items, court records said.
Sampson also pleaded guilty to stealing aluminum baking sheets and racks from a Washougal business in December.
In exchange for his guilty pleas, the prosecution agreed to dismiss two counts of second-degree theft, two counts of third-degree theft, one count of second-degree burglary and two counts of third-degree malicious mischief.
During his hearing, Deputy Prosecutor Kalah Paisley acknowledged that Sampson had taken responsibility for his actions since the beginning of the case.
She recommended he serve the drug offender sentencing alternative, which would require him to serve 19 months in prison and 19 months of community custody. He would receive substance abuse treatment in each phase. If he were to violate the terms of the sentence, however, he would spend all 38 months in prison.
Sampson told Judge Daniel Stahnke that he has problems with methamphetamine and heroin. “It’s either life or death at this point,” he said.
Stahnke agreed to follow the recommendation and also ordered Sampson pay $2,728.33 in restitution. Sampson was given credit for 86 days in custody.
