NORWAY – Police on Thursday charged a Woodstock carpenter with breaking into two homes he had worked on and had keys to, and stealing a gun, prescription medicine and a safe from one of them, Police Chief Rob Federico said.
Scott George Burton, 30, of Andrews Hill Road was arrested Wednesday after he drove up to one of the houses on Hummingbird Way as police were setting up a surveillance camera after an earlier burglary there, the chief said.
In Burton’s truck were a loaded handgun, pills and a locked safe taken Wednesday morning from a home on McKay Road, Federico said.
That burglary was being reported to police as they interviewed Burton at the home on Hummingbird Way, Federico said.
Also in the truck were items from a home in Albany Township.
Burton was charged Wednesday with possession of stolen property in connection with the McKay Road burglary.
On Thursday, he was charged with burglarizing the McKay Road home and the one of Hummingbird Way, which is off the Round the Pond Road, the chief said.
He was also charged with theft in connection with the McKay Road house and aggravated trafficking due to having more than 90 prescription pills that were not his.
“All were daylight burglaries,” Federico said, and all occurred when home owners were away.
Federico said police searched Burton’s garage on Andrews Hill Road and found a locked room with six cordless phones still in their boxes, a new microwave oven, a laptop computer, a printer and expensive tools, some in original packaging.
“We took two truckloads of goods from his home,” the chief said. “Not too many people have five air compressors in their garage.”
Federico said police are still cataloging all the items found in Burton’s home and truck. Police impounded the truck.
“Because we have discovered so much, we don’t think he was selling anything. He was hoarding,” Federico said.
Burton has been living in Woodstock for two years, he said.
Burton was arraigned Thursday at 11 District Court in Paris and had bail set at $15,000 cash bail or $30,000 worth of property.
Staff writer Mary Delamater contributed to this report.
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