Man sentenced in burglary case

SANDPOINT — The fifth and final person has been sentenced for his role in a prolific burglary ring that was exposed by a confiscated iPhone.

David Dean Combs Jr. was given a suspended prison term of one to three years and 60 days in jail with credit for 60 days he served in the case. Combs was also placed on supervised probation, according to the terms of Judge Barbara Buchanan’s sentence.

Combs was sentenced in 1st District Court on June 3.

Combs, 18, apologized to his victims and lamented that his misconduct brought an abrupt end to his high school sports career and jeopardized his ability to join the U.S. Marine Corps, court records show.

Five people, including Combs, faced multiple burglary charges for their roles in last fall’s theft spree that targeted garages, outbuildings and two churches in Kootenai.

All of the defendants entered into agreements which reduced the number of counts in exchange for pleas of guilt.

Sentences for the other defendants in the case ranged from brief prison terms, local incarceration at the Bonner County Jail and probation.

The burglary ring was broken when county juvenile corrections officials confiscated a smartphone, which held photos of the suspects and stolen property, court records indicate.