A suspect nabbed less than an hour after he allegedly broke into a consignment store and stole cash and consigned items was indicted Wednesday on one count of second-degree burglary.
Jared Paul Fortin, 32, pleaded not guilty to the charge, for which he could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison, in Juneau Superior Court Thursday afternoon.
Fortin originally had also been charged with second-degree theft and third-degree mischief in connection with the late-night break-in on June 14. On Thursday, District Attorney Angie Kemp told Judge Philip Pallenberg she likely will add those charges back as misdemeanors, because the estimated damage and theft amounts were lower than originally thought.
A trial, with a three-day length estimate, was scheduled for Sept. 18. Fortin’s bail remains set at $5,000; Assistant Public Defender Eric Hedland said Fortin has been accepted to a drug treatment program in Anchorage and asked to set a bail hearing on June 29.
Fortin was arrested after the Juneau Police Department responded to a burglary call at approximately 11:22 p.m. June 14 from Alaskan Dames Consignment Shop, located at 1900 Crest St.
Access to the business had been gained by forcing open a door, and cash and consignment items had been stolen from the store. The burglary was captured on a video surveillance system and the responding officer reportedly recognized the suspect as Fortin.
Less than an hour later, an officer located Fortin sitting in the back of a vehicle near the 9200 block of Glacier Highway. The property stolen from Alaskan Dames reportedly was recovered from Fortin and returned to the business.
During Fortin’s initial arraignment last week, Assistant Attorney General Kaci Schroeder noted that he has 25 prior convictions, including a felony burglary in 2007. Court records show misdemeanor cases dating back to 2002 on charges that include disorderly conduct, trespassing, assault and disorderly conduct.
Inmate sentenced to two years for smuggling drugs into prison
On Thursday, a Lemon Creek Correctional Center inmate who pleaded guilty to smuggling drugs into the prison was sentenced to two years.
Richard G. Baker, 26, was indicted last year for promoting contraband, a class C felony, on March 16, 2016.
Judge Pallenberg noted that Baker’s sentence focuses on deterrence, telling him, “Jail hasn’t worked very well (as a deterrent) for you,” and noting a multitude of write-ups during Baker’s incarceration.
Pallenberg added that Baker’s recorded phone calls did not show much indication of a desire to change his behavior and that Baker is likely to spend most of his life in prison.
“I hope things go better in the future,” he told Baker. “I wish you luck.”
• Contact reporter Liz Kellar at 523-2246 or liz.kellar@juneauempire.com.
