Lebanon man faces sentencing in rash of New Durham burglaries

John Laflesh (Somersworth Police photo)

DOVER - A Lebanon man faces sentencing on Tuesday for his alleged part in a rash of New Durham house burglaries that occurred in the summer of 2016.

John Laflesh, 29, of 764 Upper Guinea Road, Lebanon, Maine, has agreed to a capped plea deal, which means the deal was agreed to based, in part, on a judge's promise not to impose a sentence greater than a specified term or range of imprisonment.

Three others were also indicted in the case: Anthony Hood, 25, a transient with ties to Milton, his brother, Steven Hood, 28, of 492 White Mountain Hwy, Milton, and Rachelle Kimball, 37, of Pebblestone Lane, Rochester.

From left, Anthony Hood, Steven Hood and Rachelle Kimball (Rochester Police photos) and John LaFlesh (Somersworth Police photo)

Most of the burglaries took place in August 2016 in the area of Meaderboro Road and Ten Rod Road.

"They were pretty well organized and had been doing it for a while in the area," New Durham Police Chief Shawn Bernier said soon after the four were indicted.

Bernier said a big break in the case came after one of the homeowners provided surveillance video of the suspects in action, while another break occurred after officers came upon two men who were later developed as suspects allegedly acting as lookouts for the others.

Court documents allege that Kimball, in concert with the Hood brothers and LaFlesh, did at least one of the following: agreed to drive to the area of Ten Road Road, New Durham, acted as a lookout, had a false story prepared if someone was home at the residence; and that then LaFlesh and Steven Hood entered the residence; and that LaFlesh and Steven Hood took items from the house.

Bernier said most of the houses were unoccupied at the time of the alleged burglaries, but not all.

Some of the items stolen included laptops, silver coins, cash and electronics, Bernier said, adding that one residence that apparently yielded little in the way of loot was completely trashed with holes put in the walls and broken glass everywhere.

After an investigation that lasted about a month, police were able to develop enough evidence to obtain arrest warrants for the four suspects.

Laflesh is the third suspect in the case to be sentenced. Anthony Hood pleaded guilty earlier this month and was sentenced to two to four years in state prison, while Kimball also reached a plea deal last February. Meanwhile, Steven Hood, 28, of 492 White Mountain Hwy, Milton, has a warrant out for him after ending his Community Corrections supervision.