The 34-year-old broke into four homes in Williams and Lower Saucon townships between May and June 2012, according to court officials.
Victims of a monthlong crime spree appeared this morning in Northampton County Court requesting a lengthy prison sentence for a Nazareth burglar.
President Judge Stephen Baratta obliged and sentenced Timothy J. Graves, 34, to 45 months to seven-and-a-half years in state prison on charges of burglary and theft. Baratta also ordered Graves to pay more than $105,000 in restitution to his victims.
Pennsylvania State Police said Graves broke into three Williams Township homes and a Lower Saucon Township home in May and June 2012. Witnesses saw Graves at or near of each of the burglaries, and some even saw him knocking on doors to see if anyone was home, according to court documents.
Graves' victims testified Graves had taken family heirlooms, cherished keepsakes and all their prescription medicines. Worse still, they said, he stole the sense of security they felt in their homes.
Eric Mirenda said Graves stole four generations of jewelry his fiancee's family had collected over the decades in Greece before moving to Williams Township. Graves also pilfered the wedding bands and engagement ring for his own wedding, making the already stressful wedding planning worse, Mirenda said. He has since installed a security camera that can be checked over the Internet into his future in-law's home on the 700 block of Berger Road.
"They don't go 15 minutes without checking it on their phones. I have it on there, they have it on there because of this," Mirenda said.
Stephen Bonaduci said his son was home alone the day of the burglary but left to go grocery shopping when Graves struck. Bonaduci said his wife was more distraught over her son's close encounter with Graves than with the theft of her family's silverware.
"I slept that night on the couch with a baseball bat hoping he would come back thinking he may have missed something," Bonaduci told Baratta.
Graves apologized to his victims and accepted responsibility for his action. He told the court his life had spiraled out of control when his prescription medicine addiction got out of hand.
"The worst part about it is I can't take back the pain I have caused these people. I haven't stopped thinking about it since I detoxed," he said.
Graves faces further prison time in Lehigh County for violating the terms of his probation, Assistant District Attorney Sandra McClure said.