An Illinois man was jailed for 22 years after he was caught stealing a TV remote from an apartment complex common area.
Eric Bramwell was sentenced to serve at least half of his sentence after police caught him following a string of thefts.
The 35-year-old in 1st August 2015 took the universal remote from a Wheaton apartment building in Illinois, USA, but dropped a glove containing traces of his DNA before he left the scene. A DNA sample taken from the glove matched Bramwell’s DNA logged in the state’s convicted felon database.
He was found guilty of the theft in November and earlier this week was sentenced to 22 years in jail. He was eligible for 30 years in prison because of his long criminal history. He must serve at least half of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
Bramwell allegedly committed a series of similar remote and television thefts in other apartment complexes nearby, including several building in Lisle, Aurora, Bloomingdale, Downers Grove and Oakbrook Terrace.
“Mr. Bramwell’s illegal activity and his history have finally caught up with him,” state attorney Robert Berlin said. “Regardless of what was stolen, Mr. Bramwell repeatedly thumbed his nose at the law. He took what he wanted, time and time again, and expected to avoid the consequences. That’s not how it works, as Mr. Bramwell has now found out.”
