Clifton Park man gets 15 years for burglaries
BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. » A Clifton Park man was sentenced to 15 years in prison, plus five years of post-release supervision, for pleading guilty to a series of home and auto burglaries in October 2019.
Saratoga County District Attorney Karen A. Heggen announced on May 18 that Tyler E. Lester, 26, was sentenced before Saratoga County Court Judge James A. Murphy, III for each of his March 16 guilty pleas to two counts of seconddegree burglary. The sentences will run concurrently and Lester was ordered to pay restitution to the victims.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lester was sentenced via Skype, with all parties, including the victims, appearing remotely.
The charges stemmed from a string of burglaries committed in neighborhoods off of Moe Road in the town of Clifton Park last October.
Authorities said Lester admitted to entering or remaining unlawfully in two homes with intent to commit a crime. His pleas covered several other charges connected to his entry or attempted entry into 13 homes in Clifton Park.
“The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office identified Lester through the helpful and diligent efforts of the residents of Clifton Park,” Heggen said in a press release. “This defendant worked under cover of night and would not have been brought to justice without surveillance footage from the homes of the neighborhood residents and the good Samaritan who called police and identified the defendant as a suspicious person.
“For the nearly two weeks Lester was active in Clifton Park and local law enforcement were flooded with leads and information that helped to positively identify him as the perpetrator. This truly is an example of a community coming together with the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office to stop crime. Burglary is a very personal crime; one that leaves a lasting impact on the victims.
“My office and law enforcement work tirelessly to hold individuals who burglarize homes responsible for their actions.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Sarah J. Leszczynski.