Jia Bang Wen Sentenced For Burglary And Interfering With Police Search

A Casper man will spend a some time in jail, but will avoid prison after he admitted to burglarizing a downtown businesses and for lying to the police about the location of a couple of runaway juveniles.

Nineteen year old Jia Bang Wen was sentenced to 20 days in jail, after he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of interference with a peace officer, and possession of a controlled substance.

Those sentences will run at the same time.

After that, he will be given first time offender status, and one-to-five years of probation, for pleading guilty to one felony count of burglary.

Investigators with the Casper Police Department say in middle June, Wen and two accomplices burglarized the Corner Upholstery business.

Detectives were able to identify the burglars through surveillance camera footage, and when interviewed, all of them eventually confessed.

During that time, a couple of juveniles were reported missing from the Wyoming Behavioral Institute and an endangered person advisory had been issued.

When questioned initially by police, Wen stated he had not seen either individual.

Once the two juveniles were found, one of them admitted they had been staying with Wen, ever since they escaped.

During a search, investigators also found marijuana on Wen.

If Wen completes the probation, the guilty conviction on the burglary charge would be cleared from his criminal record.