A man described as a professional thief, Barry Paul Andruszczak, 37, was found guilty Wednesday for the theft of jewelry from an Ashdown, Ark., residence, and he was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Andruszczak has no permanent address but had a criminal history involving the theft of jewelry, Prosecutor Bryan Chesshir said.
"He didn't steal guns or televisions. He stole jewelry. He was a professional," Chesshir said.
A Little River County jury also assessed Andruszczak a $30,000 fine, and he is required to pay $40,000 in restitution for stealing jewelry from the Ashdown residence of Elston and Donna Green.
The burglary occurred May 9, 2014.
During the investigation, Ashdown police found traces of yellow paint from a pry bar used to open a door.
About 11 days after the Ashdown burglary, Andruszczak was caught stealing jewelry inside a house in Lake Providence, La. The jewels were stored in a small safe.
He told the homeowner he was delivering medical supplies, and the 82-year-old man got within 5 feet of Andruszczak and told him he was calling the police, Chesshir said.
Within 20 minutes of the call, Andruszczak was arrested, Chesshir said.
When Andruszczak was arrested, he had possession of a class ring belonging to Donna Green. The ring had been stolen from her residence.
Former Ashdown police Chief Doyle Crouch and Ashdown Detective Boyd Kennemore went to Lake Providence to check the evidence recovered in the arrest.
Kennemore noticed a yellow pry bar similar to the one used at the Lake Providence burglary and in the Ashdown burglary.
The arrest affidavit said pieces of the door frame from the residence had yellow paint on them, the same color as the pry bar in Andruszack's possession. The tool marks left on the door also matched the width of the pry bar, Chesshir said.
Representatives from the Arkansas Crime Lab testified the evidence from the pry bar matched the wood frames from both residences.
The investigation into the Ashdown burglary resulted in law enforcement agencies making arrests in unsolved burglaries, including a $100,000 burglary in Hot Springs, Ark., Chesshir said.
"He stole only jewelry and money. He didn't take TVs or other items. He was in and out of the houses. He never talked about how he selected a house," Chesshir said.