By Kristy Kibler
On Thursday, Feb. 23, Michael Ames, 19, of Dale Road in Middlebury, received a sentence of 4 2/3 to 14 years in state prison for his plea to three counts of burglary in the third degree for incidents occurring between August 4, 2011 and September 6, 2011.
The burglaries occurred at five different Wyoming County businesses: The Hole in the Wall Restaurant in Perry; the Letchworth Pines in Portageville; and Commissioners Restaurant, Decisions Restaurant and the Pizza Depot, all in Silver Springs. During the burglaries, several safes were entered and/or stolen, along with items such as alcohol, computers and other items. Total losses amounted to $20,000 worth of cash and merchandise. Greg Kilburn, Esq., assistant public defender, represented Ames. His co-defendant Paul Cipra, 22, of Batavia, was recently sentenced to 2 1/3 to seven years with shock incarceration on one count of burglary in the third degree. The other co-defendant, Trevor Pilc, 19, of Batavia, pled guilty to three counts of burglary in the third degree with a promised sentence of 4 2/3 to 14 years in prison.
A fourth involved person was given youthful offender status.
Ames and Pilc also have pending cases in Genesee County for unrelated burglary charges. All three defendants will be responsible for repaying the value of the property and money stolen.
The Wyoming County Sheriff’s Department and the Perry Police Department investigated the burglaries, and a tip regarding Ames’ involvement led to the defendants’ arrests on Sept. 23, 2011. The tip occurred in response to a $1,000 reward offered by one of the victimized business owners, Anita Billings of the Hole in the Wall Restaurant.
“These burglaries were just devastating to the small, family-owned businesses that were affected by these individuals,” said Wyoming County District Attorney Donald O’Geen in a statement. “Judge Mark H. Dadd’s sentence today sends a very clear and strong message to anyone who burglarizes a house, business or building of another person. The criminal justice system in Wyoming County will not tolerate this type of behavior, and we will expend whatever resources we need to bring these people to justice.”