The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Man pleads guilty to theft
LITCHFIELD » A Danbury man pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing more than $20,000 in cash, credit cards, and jewelry from the home of a New Milford woman.
Leonard W. Russo, 25, of 4 Greenlawn Drive, Danbury, pleaded guilty in Litchfield Superior Court to charges of first-degree larceny and third-degree burglary stemming from the April 2016 incident.
As part of the plea agreement entered Tuesday, Russo will receive a decade-long prison sentence, suspended after three years and eight months, with five years probation.
The thefts occurred while the New Milford woman was away from home for a few months. When she returned, she found that a set of keys that opened locked areas in her home were missing, as well as $30,000 in cash and thousands of dollars worth of jewelry, according to an affidavit from New Milford police.
Through an investigation by town police, Russo was identified as a suspect in the case. He told police in a sworn written statement that he had taken the money, which he totaled at $20,100, as well as the jewelry, a debit card and bottles of alcohol, according to the affidavit.
Russo was homeless at the time, according to the affidavit, and was staying in another building on the property.
He made a series of purchases in Danbury, according to the affidavit, including a Playstation 4, Samsung Galaxy 6 cellphone, Jordan-brand sneakers and a Samsung TV. He also attempted to invest the money by purchasing drugs, but lost a good portion of it in a deal gone awry, police said.
Russo was arrested Nov. 11 and held in lieu of $5,000 bond. He previously pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The victim told police that approximately $60,000 worth of valuables and cash had been stolen from their home, including the $30,000 in cash.
Russo is next scheduled to appear in court for sentencing on Sept. 22. He will be required to pay restitution as part of the agreement, according to Judge John Danaher III. The exact amount of restitution will be determined during a hearing, but will range between $26,000 and $36,000.