Matthew L. Lewis, 19, of Festus was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to nine felonies, including burglary, receiving stolen property, tampering with a motor vehicle and possession of a controlled substance, court records show.
On Nov. 28, 2015, Lewis unlawfully entered numerous vehicles parked along Railroad Avenue, Hillsboro Avenue, Morse Avenue and Victoria Road in the Victoria area and along Hyfield Road in the De Soto area and stole items from them. During questioning he admitted to the thefts, as well as to trying to hot wire one of the vehicles in an effort to start it, damaging the steering column, the probable-cause statement said.
Items Lewis stole from the vehicles included a gun, ammunition, credit and debit cards, a DVD player, hunting equipment, knives, binoculars, clothing and other items, altogether valued at more than $1,500, the statement said.
Two days earlier, on Nov. 26, 2015, Lewis broke into two vehicles parked outside a home in the 1100 block of Fox Farm Road in the De Soto area and stole one of them, a 1998 Ford Taurus. He also used a credit card stolen during the incident at a Mobil on the Run gas station in Pevely and could be seen on surveillance footage at the station with the stolen car and using the stolen credit card, according to the probable-cause statement in that case.
Earlier that month, Lewis stole a Dodge Durango parked in the 400 block of Vreeland Road in the Hillsboro area after arguing with the owner. A month later, in December 2015, after the vehicle had been returned to the victim, Lewis stole it again from the same home on Vreeland Road, the report said.
On Jan. 14, Lewis was a passenger in a 1999 Chevrolet Blazer that a Festus Police officer pulled over near Hwy. A and Collins Avenue, and when the Blazer was searched, a bag containing white powder and a purple tablet were found on the passenger’s side where Lewis had been sitting. The powder tested positive for cocaine, and the tablet was found to be morphine, according to the probable-cause statement in the case.
Lewis pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree burglary, one count of second-degree burglary, three counts of receiving stolen property and one count of first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle, all felonies, stemming from the Nov. 28, 2015, incident, as well as to two counts of first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle, both felonies, tied to the Durango thefts, and to one count of possession of a controlled substance, a felony, connected to the Jan. 14 incident.
On Oct. 13, Jefferson County Div. 2 Circuit Judge Darrell Missey sentenced Lewis to 15 years for the first-degree burglary charge, to seven years for the second-degree burglary, to seven years for each count of receiving stolen property, to seven years for two of the tampering charges, to four years for the other tampering charge and to and seven years for the drug possession charge. However, the terms are to be served concurrently, or at the same time. In addition, Lewis may be released early if he successfully completes a 120-day treatment program, court documents indicate.
Jefferson County assistant prosecuting attorney Catherine M. Robertson handled the cases.
Lewis currently is in the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre.