A Sangamon County man was sentenced to additional time in prison for crimes committed in Missouri and Illinois last year.
38-year old Patrick N. Butler formerly of Auburn, pleaded guilty to Class 2 felony theft of property between $10,000-$100,000 and Class 3 felony theft of property over $500 in Pike County Court on Tuesday.
Butler was arrested on November 25th after a six-week criminal investigation of the theft of equipment from a Pike County, Illinois farm implement dealer as well thefts of vehicles and other items in Callaway County, Missouri.
According to a press release on December 12th, the Pike County Sheriff’s Department was contacted Oct. 11 about the theft of multiple zero-turn lawn mowers. An investigation was led by Chief Deputy Zack Orr, who reviewed surveillance videos, interviewed witnesses, executed search warrants, retrieved data and followed up with other law enforcement agencies. His work led to Butler’s arrest in Callaway County, Missouri while in possession of stolen property. Butler was on parole from the Illinois Department of Corrections on a previous case. Pike County Sheriff David Greenwood said Orr’s work not only solved the crime in Pike County but numerous other crimes throughout Illinois, Missouri, Iowa and Wisconsin.
In January, Butler was sentenced to a total of 6 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to charges of receiving stolen property, resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance, and tampering with a motor vehicle.
Butler’s charges in Iowa and Wisconsin are not currently available.
In Pike County on Tuesday, Butler was sentenced to a concurrent 8 year sentence on both theft charges and ordered to pay an undisclosed fine. He was given credit for 222 days served in the Pike County Jail.