Austin Jeffrey Giles jail booking photo. (Photo: Cache County Jail)
LOGAN — A 22-year-old West Jordan man has been sentenced for his part in a burglary and fraud case in Logan. Austin Jeffery Giles has been in the Cache County Jail since being arrested in August.
According to court clerks, Giles was sentenced Wednesday morning if 1st District Court. He had previously accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to felonies of unlawful use of a financial card, possession of a firearm by a restricted person, possession of a controlled substance, forgery and mail theft.
Giles and Galexy Mikkel Workman, a 19-year-old Cottonwood Heights woman, broke into a Logan woman’s vehicle on August 5, stealing her purse.
Logan City Police officers were able to locate camera footage of the burglary. The video showed a white Dodge Charger arriving at the incident address. A female matching Workman’s description excited the car, opened the victim’s vehicle and took the purse. Additional videos were located from a local store. It showed both Workman and Giles using the stolen cards to make fraudulent purchases.
Officers later located the defendant’s vehicle parked outside a local mobile home. Workman and Giles admitted to using the victim’s cards and disposing of the stolen merchandise. Police also located methamphetamine, marijuana, prescription medication, a handgun, drug paraphernalia and a scale.
Originally, law enforcement reported that the couple made over $30,000 in fraudulent purchases. Prosecutors later clarified that most of the purchases were declined and the couple only stole $2,613.
During Wednesday’s sentencing, Judge Brian Cannell sentenced Giles to 94 days in jail but gave him credit for the 94 days already served. He also ordered him to be placed on probation and work toward paying restitution with Workman.
Earlier this month, Workman was also placed on probation and ordered to begin repaying the stolen funds.
will@cvradio.com