Third time no charm for man sentenced in burglaries

Sara Ganim

BELLEFONTE — A Spring Mills man who has twice before been to state prison for burglary sprees in Centre County will spend at least 15 more years behind bars for his part in about 50 break-ins across the county last summer.

Steven J. Poorman, 32, went into court expecting to see a sentence of about 10 years in exchange for his cooperation in resolving many unsolved burglaries and for helping prosecutors with another case that is “related tangentially,” his attorney said.

But Judge Thomas King Kistler rejected that deal “given what Mr. Poorman has done and the fact that he learned absolutely nothing from his prior state prison incarceration.”

“No defendant should get a volume discount,” Kistler said.

Kistler gave Poorman the option to take back his guilty plea and go to trial, but Poorman’s attorney, Charles J. Kroboth Jr., said he did not want that.

“The defendant does have a criminal history,” Kroboth said. “Unfortunately, it is for the same type of thing.”

Poorman, along with his stepson, Jason M. Bowersox, 21, and friend Vincent L. Wiker, 21, were all living together when police say they committed more than 30 burglaries in Penns Valley last summer. When they were arrested in December, they admitted to several other break-ins and thefts. Some of the cases were still being resolved up until last month.

As part of the deal, none of the three will be sentenced to more time if more cases are linked to them in the future.

Bowersox hasn’t resolved his case. Wiker was sentenced to about 5 years in prison after Judge Bradley P. Lunsford found he was the least culpable of the trio.

Tuesday, Poorman was painted more culpable.

“If you look at what Mr. Poorman has done with his life, it’s not good,” Assistant District Attorney Nathan Boob said.

In 2001, Poorman spent 3 to 6 years in state prison for four burglaries in Centre County and in 1995 he spent 2 to 4 years incarcerated for a spree of seven burglaries, Boob said.

His record also has convictions for forgery, criminal trespass and theft-related charges dating to 1994.

During the Penns Valley burglary spree, Poorman stole cash, pain medication, wheat, coins and beer. Perhaps the most serious offense was stealing $3,600 in antique firearms and ammunition of “sentimental value” that have not been recovered, Boob said. Poorman was caught when a woman came home to find him stealing $15,000 in jewelry.

As part of his sentence, Poorman was ordered to pay more than $17,000 in restitution.

He will get credit for the 345 days he’s served since his arrest. Because he didn’t enter into any occupied homes, he is eligible for early parole, but that will likely be negated by a three-year sentence for violating parole.

He was on parole for the previous burglary cases when he was arrested last year, Kroboth said.

Sara Ganim can be reached at 231-4616.