ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A Colombian man in the U.S. illegally has been sentenced to three years in prison after prosecutors say he and his Houston-based crew burgled at least 12 homes in Virginia and Maryland.
Roger Mina-Cuero, of Buenaventura, Colombia, was sentenced Thursday in federal court in northern Virginia.
The 29-year-old pleaded guilty in June to taking stolen property across state lines and illegal re-entry to the U.S.
Prosecutors say Mina-Cuero belonged to a Houston-based Colombian burglary crew that would travel to other states, break into homes and steal jewelry, electronics and cash. They would sell the goods in Houston and send some of the proceeds back to Colombia.
Prosecutors say the group would case neighborhoods before the burglaries to find houses where no residents were home and break in through back windows.
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