Daniel Joseph Chotrow, 24, of Festus has been sentenced to 10 years in prison following burglary and stealing charges, as well as other offenses and probation violations, according to court documents.
On July 20, 2015, Chotrow, a persistent offender, removed a screen to get inside a window at a home on Ashford Place in Festus and stole a small amount of change, the probable-cause statement said.
The victim said he came home to find a vehicle in his driveway, so he walked around his house to check it out and spotted Chotrow, whom he knew, climbing out of the basement window, the report said.
Chotrow pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary, a felony, and misdemeanor stealing, and on Jan. 6, Jefferson County Div. 6 Circuit Judge Troy A. Cardona sentenced him to 10 years in prison for the burglary and 120 days in jail for the stealing.
That 10-year sentence is to be served concurrent, or at the same time, with a seven-year and a three-year term Chotrow also was sentenced to on Jan. 6 stemming from previous convictions that he was on probation for, according to the report.
In Feb. 2011, Chotrow, acting with an accomplice, stole numerous items from vehicles in Crystal City. Chotrow pleaded guilty to felony stealing in that case, and in August 2011, he was sentenced to seven years, but after completing a treatment program, he was released in December 2011 on five years’ probation, the report said.
In February 2009, Chotrow, along with an accomplice, set fire to a recycling bin on the Festus R-6 Schools campus, causing $478 in damage. He pleaded guilty to knowingly burning, a felony, and in January 2011, he was sentenced to three years, but the sentence was suspended, and he was placed on five year’s probation.
So, on Jan. 6, Cardona not only sentenced Chotrow to 10 years but also executed the previous sentences, to be served concurrently. However, Chotrow may be released early if he successfully completes a 24-month treatment program, court papers show.
Jefferson County assistant prosecuting attorney Jacob T. Costello handled the cases.
Chotrow currently is in the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre.