FARMINGTON – A New Hampshire man with a lengthy criminal history will serve sentences for firearm, burglary and theft convictions while in federal prison for being a career armed criminal.

Melvin “Grumpy” Vitko, 52, of Milford, N.H., pleaded guilty Friday to three felony counts of illegal possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, four felony counts of burglary, and two counts of theft. He also pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of theft and two counts of criminal mischief. He faced up to 10 years in prison on the burglary charges.

Those charges stem from break-ins to three camps in Byron, where five firearms were stolen, and one residence in Weld in February 2008.

Police had been on the lookout for a stolen truck with Florida plates when a resident of Weld reported seeing the vehicle on Center Hill Road.

Franklin County Sheriff’s Deputy Heidi Gould responded and found Vitko putting on snowshoes at a residence there.

Testimony would show that two of the stolen firearms were found in the truck and Vitko admitted to police that he stole them, Robinson said.

Testimony would also show that the other guns were found at a gun shop, he said.

All guns were recovered.

Among other items stolen in the string of burglaries were jewelry, including an engagement ring valued at $3,600. That was recovered, Robinson said, but other jewelry was not.

Justice Michaela Murphy sentenced Vitko to nine months and one day on each of the felony charges and five months each on the misdemeanor charges, all to be served at the same time.

Robinson said normally it would be a longer sentence but due to Vitko being sentenced April 16 to serve 15 years and 8 months in a federal penitentiary for being a career armed criminal it was not necessary.

“The federal charges stem directly from these charges,” Vitko’s attorney, Josh Robins said.

Robinson had cited Vitko’s lengthy criminal history last year in court, beginning in 1978 with convictions for aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon and continuing with others for robbery, burglary, escape and trafficking in stolen property. The conviction for the latter charge on July 6, 1999, carried a 10-year sentence to a Florida penitentiary that he was released from in mid-2007, Robinson said.