Man sentenced to 30 years for burglaries
A man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for breaking into and burglarizing several residences in Cape Coral and the surrounding areas.
Barry Wayne Burdette, 35, of Fort Myers, was sentenced Wednesday after entering into a plea deal with the state. He pleaded no contest to 35 counts of burglary of a dwelling, 27 counts of grand theft, 12 counts of criminal mischief and seven counts of grand theft of a firearm.
He also pleaded no contest to charges of grand theft of a motor vehicle, possession of firearm by a convicted felon, dealing in stolen property and burglary with damage, among others.
There were 98 counts in total.
“He broke into 46 homes,” Samantha Syoen, spokeswoman for the State Attorney’s Office, said. “Some of the homes he didn’t steal anything.”
He took a variety of goods, including perfume, a men’s razor and jewelry.
Assistant State Attorney Danielle Rose Ligouri prosecuted the case.
Burdette told police that he sold the stolen items on the street for drugs.
“He gave a full confession to police,” Syoen said.
Burdette pleaded to all of the charges that the state filed against him.
“Very early on he decided to plea, so it gives a quick resolution,” she said.
If he had been convicted on all counts, Burdette faced 94 years to life in prison.
“It was a very successful agreement with the 30 years,” Syoen said.
She explained that Burdette did not steal items from some homes, a good portion of the victims live in other countries, including Austria, Germany and Canada, and there were no witnesses to any of the burglaries committed.
“Nobody ever saw him break into a house,” Syoen said.
According to the Cape police, Burdette broke into 18 homes within the city from July to November. In November, he was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office in Fort Myers Shores and charged with home burglary. During questioning, he confessed to the burglaries in the Cape, Fort Myers and North Fort Myers.
Burdette was booked at the Lee County Jail on 167 counts.
According to officials, Burdette was released from prison in July after serving 10 years out of a 12-year sentence for burglary and grand theft.
“He started doing more home burglaries just months after getting out,” Syoen said.
Two co-defendants are still facing charges in connection to the case.
Ryan Carl Baumgart, 26, of Estero, is facing charges of dealing in stolen property and fraud, while Hugh Winthrop Robinson, 37, of North Fort Myers, is charged with larceny and burglary. Both are set to be in court in March.
Burdette’s attorney could not be reached for comment Thursday.