A man alleged to have committed a string of burglaries at several Jefferson City businesses earlier this year has been sentenced to seven years in prison.
Myron Blount, 28, was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty to five counts of second-degree burglary and two counts of stealing. Each count carried a seven-year penalty that will be served concurrently. While he initially pleaded not guilty, Blount entered a guilty plea last week.
According to a probable cause statement, Blount was suspected of a string of burglaries that took place between April 11-13 of this year.
The first incident was April 11 at IHOP on Missouri Boulevard. Blount is believed to have stolen approximately $762 in cash from an office safe and cash register through a broken window.
On April 14, authorities interviewed a "witness/co-defendant" who was being held at the Moniteau County Jail on unrelated charges. The witness said she drove Blount and another male to IHOP on the night of the burglary, where she claimed to have seen Blount walk to the business and force entry, according to the probable cause statement. The witness said she was a former employee of the restaurant, and she provided the combination of the safe to Blount. When he returned to her vehicle, Blount told her he had stolen around $750, the witness alleged.
Four more business burglaries were reported April 13: The first was at Family Pawn on East Dunklin Street, where four laptops with a combined value exceeding $750 were taken after the front window was damaged and forced open. Authorities alleged security video from the business showed Blount committing the burglary.
The next burglary was reported at Dollar General on Schotthill Woods Drive, where a front window to the business was forced open with a blunt object. Authorities said Blount could be seen in security footage walking to the cash register and into offices after forcing his way in, but that the footage did not depict him taking any property from the store.
A third burglary occurred shortly thereafter at Sonic on East Elm Street, where two empty Central Bank deposit bags were taken. Security camera footage allegedly shows Blount entering the business through a glass door he broke. Authorities said the footage showed Blount unsuccessfully attempting to tamper with the business' safe before leaving with the bags in tow.
The fourth incident was reported at Up In Smoke on Madison Street, where a front window was forced open and several tobacco products with a combined value of less than $750 were taken. Store security video reportedly shows Blount using a rock to force open the front window before reaching in to steal the products.
Blount, who the probable cause statement said had ties to multiple counties across the state but no permanent address, was taken into custody in Osage County later that month before being transferred to Cole County, where he was charged.