PORT ORCHARD — Keyport resident Paul “Bud” Woods Jr., 23 — the newspaper delivery man involved with the string of burlaries plaguing the North End this winter — was sentenced today to seven months in Kitsap County jail.
According to Chad Enright, Kitsap County prosecuting attorney, Woods was charged with two counts of second-degree possession of stolen property and one count of forgery.
“Technically he was a delivery guy but it appears he didn’t [burglarize] his route he was employed for there,” Enright said. “As part of his agreement he’s agreed to cooperate with the investigation of anyone else involved.”
According to court documents released this winter, Woods was a contract employee for the local daily newspaper.
Woods was also charged for an older, unrelated case of trafficking stolen property belonging to a Poulsbo family.
Tom Etchey, who appeared in court today said he wanted to tell Woods how this incident affected his family.
“I told him the things that were stolen from us were important to us — some more than others — but I needed to forgive him, so that’s what I did,” Etchey said. “I wanted him to know that as young man he doesn’t understand the value of those things as memories just yet.”
Etchey said items stolen included an heirloom wedding ring and family member’s military identification tags from WWII.
“There are memories in those items that we no longer have. The most important thing he took away was (my wife’s) sense of security,” he said. “When you lose that sense of security you can’t live in your house and you can’t be away from it.”
Six people have pleaded guilty so far to their involvement in the burglaries plaguing the North End, said Enright. Tina Louise Wallace, who also uses the last name Posadas has pleaded guilty to charges associated with the burglaries and is awaiting sentencing.
Enright said he believes Lois Ewing Hoffmann, 43, of Poulsbo will also plead guilty during her court hearing scheduled in two weeks.
“At this point I think everyone has pleaded guilty except for Donald Pugh, who’s still wanted,” Enright said.
Donald L. Pugh, 44, a former South Kitsap resident, was last seen around Port Angeles.
This winter’s burglaries included breaking into more than 100 mailboxes and 50 homes, stealing cars, motorcycles, firearms, stereos and computer systems with a combined value estimated at upwards of $250,000, according to a February KCSO press release.
