Man Pleads Guilty in Theft From Elderly Pair

One of four men linked to what authorities have described as an organized crime ring pleaded guilty Monday to residential burglary for stealing thousands of dollars from an elderly couple.

Mitch John, 31, admitted to participating in a ruse to steal money from 85-year-old Willard Merle and his 87-year-old wife, Helen.

The couple were approached at their Ventura home Sept. 11 by two men who identified themselves as city workers. According to police, the men told the couple they needed to trim trees on a nearby property and wanted to use the Merles’ electrical outlets.

The men offered the couple $50 and explained that it was a new city policy to reimburse neighbors for use of their electricity, police said.

The men gave the couple a $100 bill and asked for change, police said, and then radioed cohorts in a nearby car to tell them where in the house the couple kept their cash.

While the couple were distracted outside, a man slipped inside the house and stole the money, authorities said. The couple quickly realized the cash had been taken and called police, who arrested the carload of suspects within minutes.

John, a resident of Tualatin, Ore., was behind the wheel of the blue sedan when it was stopped by police. Money was found inside the rental car and on the suspects, authorities said. John was also wearing a blue work shirt similar to that described by the victims.

“He is one of the people identified as being in the house, and he was the driver of the car when they were pulled over,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Audry Rohn said.

John was charged with residential burglary and conspiracy. He pleaded guilty to the burglary charge Monday at what was scheduled to be a preliminary hearing. Prosecutors plan to drop the conspiracy charge when John is sentenced in November.

Rohn said no deals were cut with John, and he is not expected to testify against the other defendants.

Police have said they suspect the men are linked to a low-level crime ring whose members wander from one region to another stealing from vulnerable victims.

Standing outside the courtroom Monday, John declined to comment on the reasons behind his decision to change his plea. He had previously denied burglarizing the home and engaging in a conspiracy with the other three suspects.

“I’m just trying to clear this up,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders and a glance at his attorney, Donald Stricklin, who advised him not to discuss the case.

John faces up to six years in prison, but could get only probation if the judge decides that sentence would be more appropriate. John has no local criminal history, authorities said. Sentencing is set for Nov. 12.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled Oct. 21 for the other three defendants. That hearing originally was set for Monday, but Municipal Court Judge Edward F. Brodie agreed to postpone after one defendant requested a new attorney.

Thomas Boyd, Don Miller and Tom Wood have all pleaded not guilty to charges of burglary and conspiracy.

Boyd and Miller have posted bail, and Wood remains in custody, authorities said.

Authorities say the defendants have given false names, and that at this point they do not know their true identities.