MEDFORD, Ore. — A man who stole $1.26 million worth of historic gold nuggets, jewelry and other artifacts from a Northern California courthouse has been sentenced to five years in prison.
Scott Bailey, 51, of San Pablo, Calif., pleaded guilty to burglary on Thursday. Authorities say Bailey and another man broke into the Siskiyou County Courthouse on Jan. 31, 2012, and stole the items from a display case. The courthouse is in Yreka, just south of the Oregon state line.
“We didn’t offer him any plea bargains. He pleaded guilty as charged,” District Attorney J. Kirk Andrus told The Mail Tribune newspaper of Medford, Ore.
The man allegedly with Bailey — 49-year-old David Dean Johnson of El Sobrante, Calif. — is scheduled to go to trial Nov. 19.
Security footage revealed two men breaking in through a rear window during the early morning heist. A faulty alarm failed to sound.
The men bought various high-value items with proceeds from the theft including new vehicles, the authorities said.
Andrus said Bailey did not disclose what he and Johnson did with the gold nuggets.
“He gave no information in court. I mean nothing,” Andrus said. “I pointed out in very forceful terms that shows a complete lack of remorse.”
Bailey, who had no prior convictions, asked for probation at the hearing, but his request was denied.
Despite Bailey’s guilty plea, Andrus said the outcome of the case was not satisfying. A piece of the city’s identity has been robbed because the historic artifacts have not been recovered, he said.
“He broke into our halls of justice and stole a big piece of our legacy, a significant representation of our culture,” Andrus said. “Did we do our jobs? Yeah, but that doesn’t mean there’s really anything satisfying.”
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Information from: Mail Tribune, http://www.mailtribune.com/
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