Michael Aron Asher, 23, of Hillsboro has been sentenced to 15 years in prison following felony charges for burglary, making a terrorist threat, heroin possession and resisting arrest, according to court documents.
Between Nov. 21, 2014, and Jan. 10, 2015, Asher, while acting with others, burglarized at least 10 homes in the area, including ones in Arnold, Barnhart, Dittmer, Festus, Hillsboro and House Springs, the probable-cause statement said.
One of the homes was burglarized twice. Some of the homes were broken into, and victims were inside some of the homes during the burglaries, the report said.
Thousands of dollars worth of items were stolen, including purses, guns, jewelry, cell phones, electronics, tools and money, according to the report.
Asher was confronted by a victim during at least one of the burglaries, and in one of the burglaries, Asher left his cell phone behind and was identified from a photo on it, the report said.
In addition, between Jan. 11 and Jan. 12, Asher, working alone, burglarized a Hillsboro home while people were inside sleeping and stole a purse, a wallet and a bag containing jewelry and other items, the probable-cause statement said.
Then, Asher used debit cards taken from the purse to buy lottery tickets and cigarettes at the 7-Eleven store in Festus, and that transaction was captured on surveillance footage, the probable-cause statement said.
On Aug. 19, 2014, Asher and another defendant threatened to blow up Festus Elementary School, the probable-cause statement said.
In that case, Festus Police got a call from Jefferson County 911 Dispatch that a man made a bomb threat against the school. In addition, 911 gave Festus Police the cell phone number from which the call was made, and the number was used to track the phone to Crystal City, where police had taken three people into custody for stealing, and one of them had the cell phone, the report said.
Asher and another defendant in the case, James A. Rhodes, 24, of Cadet, were among the suspects and admitted to being involved in the bomb threat, according to the report.
Asher had borrowed a friend’s cell phone and Rhodes used it to make the call, the report said.
The two said they made the call in the hopes of getting police to leave the Crystal City area where they were hiding out after stealing a generator from a home, according to the report said.
In August 2013, Asher and two others were found in an apartment on Cedar Valley in De Soto with heroin and drug paraphernalia, the probable-cause statement said.
On Feb. 25, 2014, a Hillsboro Police officer was attempting to arrest Asher on outstanding warrants, and he tried to flee, the probable-cause said.
Asher pleaded guilty to five counts of first-degree burglary and six counts of second-degree burglary in connection with the string of burglaries between Nov. 21, 2014, and Jan. 10, 2015, throughout the county.
He also pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree burglary tied to the incident between Jan. 11 and Jan. 12 in Hillsboro.
Asher pleaded guilty to one count of making a terrorist threat stemming from the bomb threat, as well as to one count of possession of a controlled substance tied to the August 2013 incident and to one count of felony resisting arrest connected to the February 2014 incident.
On Nov. 13, Jefferson County Div. 1 Circuit Judge Robert G. Wilkins sentenced Asher to five 15-year prison terms for the first-degree burglary charges and to six seven-year terms for the second-degree burglary charges connected to the string of burglaries throughout the area.
Also that day Wilkins sentenced Asher to 10 years for the burglary that occurred between Jan. 11 and Jan. 12 in Hillsboro.
Asher also was sentenced to four years for making a terrorist threat, to seven years for heroin possession and to four years for resisting arrest.
In addition, Asher was sentenced Nov. 13 to three five-year terms for felony drug possession stemming form a June 3, 2012, incident in Jefferson County. In that case, Asher was sentenced in December 2013 to the three five-year terms but the sentences were suspended and he got five years’ probation. Since he violated his probation, though, Wilkins executed the terms.
All the prison terms Asher was sentenced to on Nov. 13 are to be served concurrently, or at the same time. In addition, Asher could be released early if he successfully completes a 24-month treatment program, court records show.
Jefferson County assistant prosecuting attorney Catherine M. Robertson handled the cases.
Two other defendants are facing charges in connection with the string of burglaries between Nov. 21, 2014, and Jan. 10, 2015.
Michael A. Moslander, 29, of Hillsboro has been charged with three counts of first-degree burglary and five counts of second-degree burglary, all felonies, and that case is pending, court documents show.
In addition, Christopher D. Asher, who was born in 1989 and lives in Hillsboro, has been charged with one count of second-degree burglary, a felony, and that case is pending, according to court papers.
Rhodes, the other defendant in the bomb threat case, previously was sentenced to four years in prison.
There were two other defendants in the drug possession case connected to the August 2013 incident – Amber R. Johnson, who was born in 1982 and is from De Soto, and Terry Jack Hampton, 35, of Crystal City.
Johnson pleaded guilty to felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor receiving stolen property in that case and in October 2014, she was sentenced to three years in prison, but the sentence was suspended and she got five years’ probation, court documents indicate.
Hampton also pleaded guilty to felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor receiving stolen property, and in September 2014, he was sentenced to seven years in prison but was released in January after completing a treatment program and the sentence was suspended, court records show.