On Saturday, May 23, Juan Rodriguez, 51, of Bayonne, was arrested in connection with alleged repeated burglary and theft offenses in the Bayonne area. After investigating his potential connection to various thefts and burglaries in the area, authorities have now charged Rodriguez with 13 counts of theft, burglary, attempted burglary, and receiving stolen goods. Authorities believe that Rodriguez’s alleged acts of theft have totaled around $85,000 in electronics and jewelry stolen; however, authorities have only recovered $4,000 worth of stolen property. Of the charges Rodriguez is facing, 11 are counts of burglary, 1 is for attempted burglary, and 1 is for receiving stolen property.
Burglary Charges in Bayonne NJ
Under N.J.S.A 2C:18-2, Rodriguez will be up against significant penalties for each count of burglary with which he is being charged. Under New Jersey law, burglary is deemed a third-degree felony, and carries potential penalties including 3-5 years in jail. Penalties could increase to 5-10 years of jail time if Rodriguez was alleged to be armed with a deadly weapon at the time of any of these crimes, or if he ever threatened, attempted, or caused bodily injury of another person during any burglary attempt.
Theft Penalties in NJ
Under N.J.S.A. 2C:20-3(a), Rodriguez is also facing 11 counts of charges for theft, which go hand in hand with the burglary charges since the offenses were allegedly committed together. Theft may be classified as a disorderly persons offense if the total value of stolen items in any given incident fell below $200, in which case penalties could include possible jail time of up to 6 months. However, for each count in which the total value of allegedly stolen items exceeds $200, Rodriguez will face steeper penalties, which escalate according to the total value of items stolen. For more serious theft offenses, Rodriguez could be subject to up to 18 months of jail time for any instance of theft of over $200, up to 5 years of jail time for any instance of theft of over $500, and up to a maximum of 10 years of jail time for any instance of theft of over $75,000 worth of property.
