Newport Beach man who admitted to lemur theft pleads guilty in string of residential burglaries

A Newport Beach man who admitted to the theft of a lemur from the Santa Ana Zoo pleaded guilty Tuesday to 32 charges related to a string of residential burglaries in Balboa Island and Corona del Mar, his lawyer said.

Aquinas “Quinn” Kasbar, 19, pleaded guilty to 29 felony and three misdemeanor counts. Among the items reported stolen were safes, cash, high-end watches and fine jewelry. The burglaries occurred between July 2017 and December 2018.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Andre Manssourian “indicated that if he pleaded guilty to all charges he would give him a lid of 15 years and four months sentence,” Kasbar’s attorney, Brian Gurwitz, said Wednesday. Otherwise, Kasbar could face about 45 years in prison, Gurwitz said.

Kasbar is scheduled back in court for sentencing Jan. 10.

He was arrested by Newport Beach police on Dec. 1. In February, seized property was exhibited to burglary victims.

He was free on $560,000 bail until he was remanded to custody June 12 on suspicion of various violations of the terms of his release, including overnight visits to Southern California casinos and a weekend trip to the Coachella music festival, court documents show. His bail was raised to $2 million.

He has remained at Orange County Jail since then.

In July, Kasbar pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor count of unlawful taking of an endangered species for stealing a lemur named Isaac from the Santa Ana Zoo on July 27, 2018. Isaac was found early the next morning in a crate outside a Newport Beach hotel.

Newport Beach police discovered evidence about the theft during the investigation of the burglaries. They handed over the evidence to Santa Ana police. Kasbar accepted a plea deal July 8.

The federal charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine, federal prosecutors said. Kasbar is scheduled to return to U.S. District Court in Santa Ana for sentencing in that case Oct. 28.

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