Published: May 29, 2008 11:06 am         

Alleged burglar changes his plea

If plea agreement is approved by judge, defendant would avoid prison.

A Burnettsville teen accused of breaking into a Logansport tavern last year and stealing booze changed his plea from not guilty to guilty on Tuesday.

In Cass Superior Court II, 18-year-old Garret Matthew Quaglio went before Judge Rick Maughmer for a status hearing. His attorney, Kelly Leeman, informed the court his client would enter a guilty plea to the class C felony burglary charge, which carries a sentencing range of two to eight years in the Indiana Department of Correction.

Quaglio did so in exchange for a plea agreement offered by the Cass County prosecutor’s office that would keep Quaglio from going to prison.

If the judge accepts the terms of the deal, Quaglio would serve two years on in-home detention and two years on probation, the same sentence his partner in crime got earlier this month. Quaglio would also be ordered to pay restitution to the business owner. The state would drop the class D felony theft charge.

Quaglio was arrested in September of last year along with another teen for breaking into Kreig’s Tavern, 1437 13th St., and removing more than 40 cases of beer, at least 30 bottles of liquor, an unknown amount of cash and other items. Logansport police recovered most of the stolen goods from a nearby garage the next day.

While speaking with the owner of Kreig’s Tavern on the telephone, Lt. Cathi Collins was told that a tan truck matching the description given by a witness was backed up to the garage door where the stolen property had been found. Collins responded to the scene and encountered two men coming from the rear of the garage. Quaglio and 18-year-old Derek Jacob Wagoner, of Logansport, were arrested on charges of burglary and possession of stolen property.

While establishing a factual basis for the change of plea, Quaglio admitted to committing the crime.

Judge Maughmer will decide on the plea agreement at sentencing, which is scheduled for 11 a.m. on June 23.

In May, Wagoner pleaded guilty to burglary, pursuant to a plea agreement. In addition to receiving, two years on in-home detention and two years on probation, he was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution.

As part of the plea deal, the state dismissed the class D felony theft charge. Wagoner was ordered to serve 40 hours of community service.

Kevin Lilly can be reached at (574) 732-5117, or via e-mail at kevin.lilly@pharostribune.com