MONTICELLO – A 55-year-old Liberty man has been convicted of burglary in connection with the break-in at a residence on South Main Street in the Village of Liberty on February 28, 2022.
The arrest of Ralph Sparks stemmed from an incident when the homeowner returned for lunch and found Sparks in his home stealing property.
Village of Liberty Police investigated, which included review of video surveillance, and identified Sparks and took him into custody on March 1.
At trial, the homeowner, other witnesses and the video surveillance demonstrated that Sparks went to the residence and ran after the homeowner chased him.
It took the jury less than an hour to convict Sparks, who has a criminal history that includes convictions for burglaries and larcenies spanning decades, including New Jersey burglary, larceny and possession of stolen property dating back to 1989, 1993, 1996 and 1998.
He was also convicted of three burglaries in 2002 in Sullivan County in which he stole jewelry, cash and a loaded handgun.
He was released on parole in 2020.
Sullivan County District Attorney Meagan Galligan said normally, Sparks would face up to 15 years in prison on his current conviction. But under the state’s persistent felony offender statute, he could be sentenced to up to 25 years to life in prison if the court determines that he has previously been sentenced to prison on two or more separate felony convictions and that his history and character of the nature and circumstances of his conduct warrant extended incarceration and lifetime supervision to best serve the public interest.
Judge Jim Farrell has scheduled a hearing on the issue for January 12, 2023.
