Forest City man goes to prison for storage unit burglaries

MARY PIEPER mary.pieper@globegazette.com
Mary Pieper
Reporter
Feb 6, 2019
0

FOREST CITY | A Forest City man has been sentenced to up to 10 years in prison in connection with a string of storage unit burglaries in which a number of items were stolen, including a motorcycle.

Christopher Michael Hoeft, 40, received that sentence after pleading guilty to three counts of felony third-degree burglary and one county of felony second-degree theft.

Hoeft also had his probation revoked on Jan. 29 on a 10-year suspended prison sentence he received in Winnebago County last year for possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver.

The two sentences are to be served concurrently.

Hoeft and co-defendant Kristen James Nelson, 34, Forest City, were charged with breaking into storage units in the 100 block of Industrial Drive in Forest City in January 2018.

Among the items stolen were carpet, tools, stereo equipment, and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, according to the Hancock County Sheriff's Office.

Nelson was sentenced in November to up to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of third-degree burglary, two counts of second-degree theft and one count of carrying a weapon (a knife more than 8 inches long).

Hoeft and Nelson are jointly responsible for paying $4,227 restitution to the theft victims, according to court documents.