Casper Man Sentenced to 4-6 Years in Prison for Burglary
A Casper man was sentenced to 4- 6- years at the Wyoming State Penitentiary by Judge Catherine Wilking in Natrona County District Court today, Feb. 2.
Robert G. Bockman Jr., born in 1980, was taken into custody directly after sentencing.
The investigation started on January 20, 2022 when officers responded to a report of burglary.
A homeowner reported to officers that he was out of the country, but his property manager told him someone had broken into his garage and stolen his Harley Davidson motorcycle and other belongings. This per court documents.
Through FaceTime, officers were able to show the homeowner his garage to determine exactly what was missing or damaged.
The owner of the residence provided the following list:
- Red-Roto-Tiler
- Two Poker Tables
- Two Battery Flow Testers
- Custom-Made Harley Davidson Motorcyle
The man also said it appeared someone had used his Dodge Ram pickup truck without his permission as he usually parked closer to the door; there was also an engine block in the bed of the truck that was supposed to be in the storage room.
On Jan. 27, another person told officers they had video footage of someone breaking into the garage again.
This person showed officers the footage, which captured a white Chevrolet truck back into the garage that was later identified as Bockman's.
Court documents say that, pursuant to a search warrant, officers observed messages to several people where Bockman was trying to sell them a motorcycle lift and poker table. They also noted ping locations for Bockman's cell phone which placed him in the area of the burglary.
Based on interviews and other evidence collected throughout the investigation, Bockman was charged with burglary and arrested on Feb. 21st.
In today's sentencing Bockman was represented by Public Defender Joseph Cole.
Cole questioned the restitution amount.
The prosecuting attorney, Jared Holbrook, recommended a sentence of 4- 6- years without probation.
Judge Wilking agreed, saying, "I cannot overlook his extensive criminal history."
The pre-sentence report says he has a very high risk of general recidivism, and I do not recall ever reading that before in a report, Wilking said, adding he has a recalcitrant attitude towards court orders and is not a good candidate for probation.
Bockman was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $14,240.