Rebecca Marie Carfley, 26, 436 Chesnut St., Curwensville, pleaded guilty to burglary in six cases and criminal conspiracy/burglary in the seventh case. She was sentenced to a total of six months to two years less one day in jail and three years consecutive probation.
She also pleaded guilty in an eighth case to two counts of forgery and theft. For that she was given a concurrent sentence of six months to one year in jail. She was fined $700 plus costs and must pay more than $6,000 in restitution. She was ordered to complete mental health counseling.
The charges stem from crimes that occurred Aug. 8 and Oct. 10 in Curwensville Borough and between Oct. 16 and Oct. 17 in Pike Township, Curwensville Borough, Goshen Township, Greenwood Township and Karthaus Township.
Her co-defendant, Michael Brooks Whitmore, 31, 222 Treasure Lake, DuBois, faces similar charges. His cases are scheduled for jury selection in August.
Prior to sentencing, her attorney, Chris Pentz asked that Clearfield County President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman sentence her to the county jail rather than state prison because she cooperated with the investigation. She has already served the minimum on a probation revocation sentence of 60 days and has been in jail for a total of 201 days. He explained that her downfall began after her children’s father committed suicide.
Several family members spoke in support of her stating that her kids need her.
Ammerman noted that Carfley had made “a tremendous nuisance” of herself, adding that what saved her from going to state prison was the fact that she had never before spent much time in jail. He warned her if she went “back to sticking a needle in your arm” she would be spending a significant amount of time in state prison.
“I cut you a break,” he said.
Carfley addressed the court taking responsibility “for terrible choices” and stating she deserved punishment. Her time in jail has given her a chance to see this is not the type of life she wants to lead. She wants to continue her education, counseling and to return to her children, she said.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, the first burglary was Oct. 10 at a Curwensville residence, where numerous jewelry items and checks were taken. Carfley attempted to use one of the checks at a Sheetz store. Carfley’s mother also found a bag of jewelry hidden in her home.
After police took Whitmore into custody for a separate burglary on Oct. 19, he agreed to talk with police, admitting he and Carfley committed the burglaries.
When she spoke with police she said it was his idea to commit the crimes because they needed money for fines.
During the crime spree between Oct. 16 and Oct. 17, police listed $560 was taken in a bank bag from Butch’s 101 Pitt Stop; $20 in assorted bills and approximately $5 in coins were taken from the camp store at the Curwensville Dam; $300 was taken from the Down River Restaurant and Store; $205 in lottery tickets were taken from the Karthaus Gas Station and at Dimmick’s Garage, the door was pried open and a lock box opened. Doors were damaged at both Adam’s Golden Grill and Tibben’s Towing.
In the forgery and theft case, on Aug. 8 the victim reported three checks stolen from her vehicle. One of these was cashed at a Sheetz store by Carfley and another by Whitmore at a grocery store.