WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A Wichita man who admitted stealing copper from dozens of air conditioning units won’t be going to jail.
KAKE-TV reports Byron Stuckey (41) was sentenced Thursday to a year in prison, but the judge suspended the sentence to 12 months of probation.
Stuckey was arrested by Wichita police in July, allegedly while trying to steal an air conditioner from a vacant home. He pleaded guilty in Sedgwick County District Court to one count each of felony theft and trying to elude officers.
Police have said they believe Stuckey vandalized or stole 68 air conditioners from homes and churches in the Wichita area since January. The cost of replacing the damaged units was estimated at more than $100,000, while the stolen scrap metal was valued at roughly $6,800.
