Muncie man sentenced for

2006 Winchester burglary

By BILL RICHMOND

City editor

A Muncie man Wednesday in Randolph Circuit Court received the maximum sentence for charges stemming from the December, 2006 burglary of a Winchester liquor store.

Steven N. Goodman, 53, was sentenced to serve eight years in the Indiana Department of Corrections for burglary, a Class C felony and three years for theft, a Class D felony. The sentences, which are the maximum for each charge, are to be served concurrently (that is jointly, rather than successively) with none of the time as probation. Goodman will receive 65 days credit for time served in connection with this case and must also pay a $5,000 fine.

A Circuit Court Jury April 14, at the conclusion of a two-day trial, found Goodman guilty of the burglary and theft charges.

Randolph Circuit Court Judge Jay Toney cited as an aggravating circumstance, Goodman's prior criminal record and said he sees no mitigating circumstances in the case.

"I can't really tell if you have any sincere remorse," Toney said of the defendant. "Your attorney did everything for you he possibly could, but you always look for the easy way out to get money without working for it however you can."

Goodman was sentenced in 1996 to serve a 20-year sentence for five counts of armed robbery. He reduced his sentence with good behavior credit and participation in educational programs, earning several degrees while in prison. He also successfully completed two years of parole and held a number of productive jobs in the Muncie area before, he says, the death of two close friends resulted in a relapse to drug usage leading to the Winchester burglary.

"I am absolutely not a career criminal," Goodman told Judge Toney. "I made some stupid decisions. I am an educated person who can hold a job and become a productive member of society. I'm sorry for being involved in this. The only benefit of my imprisonment would be to the people who run these privatized prisons."

Toney asked Goodman why he committed the Winchester burglary when he was making enough money he did not have to steal. The defendant said he does not know why he committed the burglary.

Goodman also has a prior conviction for check deception.

"He's well-educated and he speaks well for himself, but he has squandered his opportunities," said prosecutor David Daly. "He has offered no explanation as to why he committed these crimes."

Goodman said he will appeal the trial verdict and requested a state public defender be appointed to pursue the appeal.

According to the charging information in this case, Goodman the morning of Dec. 5, 2006 broke into the No. 1 Package Liquor Store, Winchester, taking cigarettes, coins and alcoholic beverages.