A Vancouver man was sentenced Wednesday in Clark County Superior Court to two years in prison for separate cases of residential burglary and theft.
Vincent A. Eshleman, 22, pleaded guilty to residential burglary and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm in one case and first-degree theft and first-degree trafficking in stolen property in another.
In exchange for his guilty pleas, the prosecution agreed to dismiss five other charges stemming from the two cases.
On March 4, Eshleman was apparently caught on camera burglarizing a residence at 16308 N.E. 45th St. in Vancouver. Neighbors said they saw two men enter the home and begin carrying items out. One neighbor began recording them with her cellphone, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The resident, George Suzuki, told police he arrived home to find his safe — containing two handguns, ammunition and his Social Security card — had been taken, court records said.
One of the male suspects was later identified as Eshleman by using images from the recording, the affidavit said.
Additionally, Eshleman had been accused of burglarizing a residence at 1201 Z St. in Vancouver on March 6 and stealing a safe full of handguns, jewelry and cash, according to a second probable cause affidavit. He then sold some of the stolen items to pawnshops in Vancouver and Portland, court records said.
A witness, McKenna Rubin, told police she saw Eshleman with two backpacks full of jewelry and drove him to a business to sell it. She said Eshleman later admitted to committing the burglary and stealing the items from someone he knows, according to court documents.
Restitution ordered
During his hearing, Deputy Prosecutor Dan Gasperino said there wasn’t solid evidence to prove Eshleman had burglarized the second residence so that charge was dismissed, and instead, Eshleman pleaded guilty to the theft and trafficking in stolen property charges.
Eshleman told Judge Derek Vanderwood that he’s sorry for committing the crimes and that he has a “serious drug problem.”
Vanderwood agreed to follow the attorneys’ recommendation and sentenced Eshleman to two years in prison. He was given credit for some time in custody. Vanderwood also ordered Eshleman pay $1,815 in restitution to one of the victims. Restitution in the other case has not yet been determined.
Jessica Prokop: 360-735-4551; jessica.prokop@columbian.com; twitter.com/JProkop16
