A Waldoboro man who burglarized an occupied home and was chased out by the homeowner Oct. 6 has been sentenced to a year in prison.
Kenneth T. Neild Jr., 23, pleaded guilty to class B burglary and class D unlawful possession of scheduled drug Nov. 9, according to court documents.
Neild was sentenced to four years in prison with all but one year suspended, plus three years of probation, for the burglary. He also has to pay $65 in restitution to the victim. He received a concurrent six-month term and a $400 fine for the possession charge.
The sentences will run concurrently with Knox County sentences for class B burglary, class C stealing drugs, and class C theft by unauthorized taking or transfer.
The burglary sentences are identical, and Neild will serve concurrent six-month sentences for the theft convictions.
Neild’s probation conditions prohibit the possession or use of alcohol or drugs and require him to submit to random searches and tests for the same. He must complete restitution payments and undergo residential substance-abuse treatment. The conditions also prohibit contact with three individuals.
Neild is in custody at the Maine Correctional Center in Windham, according to the Maine Department of Corrections.
Neild burglarized a Reef Road home early Oct. 6, gaining entry with a key he found outside.
The homeowner woke up to find him inside, according to a press release from Waldoboro Police Chief Bill Labombarde. The homeowner got out of bed, yelled at him, and chased him from the home.
Neild allegedly attempted to enter another home on Reef Road through a window, but was again scared off by a homeowner, according to the press release.
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Dennison and his K-9 tracked Neild to a nearby mobile home, where he was hiding in a shower.
At the time of his arrest, Neild was in possession of hypodermic needles, a spoon, a straw, and other drug paraphernalia, as well as four 20-milligram prozac pills.
Neild gave a written confession.
“I do not know what I was thinking,” Neild said in the confession. “I have a drug problem … I deeply regret doing what I did … I need help for my drug addiction!”
“I am young and I made a mistake,” Neild said. “I’m sorry.”
