Washington Court House man sentenced in Highland County safecracking case

A Washington Court House man was sentenced to a year and a half in prison and ordered to pay over $1,000 in restitution recently after pleading guilty to two safecracking charges in Highland County Common Pleas Court.

As previously reported, Brandon Stewart, 36, was indicted in September and charged with two counts of safecracking, both fourth-degree felonies; two counts of breaking and entering, both fifth-degree felonies; attempted breaking and entering, a first-degree misdemeanor; and theft, a first-degree misdemeanor.

Stewart pleaded guilty to the two safecracking charges Oct. 16, with the other counts dismissed, according to court records.

For those two charges, the indictment alleged that on or about Aug. 6 and Aug. 7, Stewart “did knowingly enter, force an entrance into or tamper with a vault, safe or strongbox.”  

Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss sentenced Stewart to a definite determinate term of nine months in prison on each count, for a total of 18 months, with jail time credit of 61 days. Stewart was additionally ordered to pay $1,066.28 to the victim in this case.

Stewart is incarcerated in the Correctional Reception Center in Orient, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.

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