Man who stole ‘Star Wars’ items gets year

A Battle Ground man accused of stealing “Star Wars” memorabilia from a man’s private collection was sentenced Wednesday to a year in prison.

Benjamin J. Milam, 24, pleaded guilty in Clark County Superior Court to second-degree trafficking in stolen property and bail jumping. As part of a plea deal, charges of first-degree theft and residential burglary were dismissed.

Milam sold the stolen merchandise to pay off a $2,250 debt, court records show.

The victim, Richard Bates, called 911 on Oct. 23 to report that the merchandise, which he valued at $30,000, was stolen from his Hazel Dell home. He told police he had been out of town at the time of the theft, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Police located the merchandise the following day at Showroom Collectibles, 1307 N.E. 78th St. The store’s owner identified the person who sold the items as Milam, the affidavit states.

When police later contacted Milam, he allegedly said, “I screwed up.” He said he owed a debt to someone and had thought of Bates’ collection. Milam occasionally stayed at Bates’ residence, according to court records.

On Wednesday, Milam agreed to serve a longer-than-normal sentence so he could serve the time in prison rather than at the Clark County Jail.

Judge Daniel Stahnke sentenced him to 366 days. He was given credit for 45 days in custody and must pay $4,250 in restitution.