Long time in prison for Silvana thief

Published 10:43 pm Monday, September 22, 2008

SILVANA — An admitted thief whose pilfering plagued his Silvana neighbors — and even the dead — is going back to prison.

Robert Boone, 38, was sentenced Monday to more than four years behind bars for stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of property from his neighbors. He also was sentenced to 90 days in jail for resisting arrest, a misdemeanor.

Boone’s request for an alternative sentence that would have cut his time behind bars in half to allow him to get drug treatment outside of prison was turned down by Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Richard Thorpe.

Instead, the judge gave Boone a high-end sentence and ordered him to get treatment in another way. The judge suspended the 90 days in jail for the misdemeanor charge for two years if Boone followed several conditions, including participating in drug treatment and staying away from known drug users.

Thorpe said he has no doubt that Boone needs help to get off drugs.

“I have a huge question if you really want treatment,” Thorpe said.

Boone was given a chance to get clean in 2002 when he was allowed into the county’s drug court, Thorpe said. Instead, Boone “urinated on the boots” of those trying to help him and dropped out, the judge said.

“I think the community needs to be protected,” Thorpe said.

Boone’s neighbors agreed.

They encouraged the judge to sentence Boone to the maximum sentence, saying he has been a blight on their neighborhood for years.

Boone, once referred to as “scum of scum” by police, was accused of stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of tools, antiques and property from his neighbors in 2006 and 2007. Police also found cremation markers from an Everett mausoleum on the property where he lived with his mother. Detectives believed one of the urns held human ashes, but it was broken and the ashes were gone.

“He has affected everyone in the community. We’ve put up fences, walls and gates. We’ve done everything we can do to prevent ourselves from being victims of opportunity,” Bryan Braswell told the judge Monday. “I’m so tired of him.”

Silvana neighbors Monday said they were pleased with Boone’s sentence. About 50 people gathered at a community meeting a couple weeks ago to tell Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Ed Stemler they were against an alternative sentence for Boone.

The neighbors have been meeting with each other, Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies and prosecutors to talk about Boone for months. They said Monday they will continue to have neighborhood meetings and be vigilant about driving criminals out of their community.

Boone apologized to his neighbors. He said he once held a job and contributed to society but lost everything when he turned to drugs to escape from his problems. Boone said he wants to stay off drugs.

“I want to be able to look people in the eye,” he said. “I don’t want them to hate me or hate my family. I don’t want them to look at me like I’m a monster.”

Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com.