The Union County Prosecutor is crediting a local detective with breaking up a regional crime ring.
Andrew K. Foster, 52, whose court listed address is the Corrections Reception Center in Orient, was sentenced recently to 10.5 to 14.5 years in prison.
FOSTER
In October, Foster pleaded guilty to one count each of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, breaking and entering and grand theft.
“The detective went the extra mile in terms of putting this case together and putting them all together across Central Ohio,” said Union County Prosecutor Dave Phillips. “If he doesn’t do that, we have a simple breaking and entering and theft.”
According to court documents, in April Foster and two others broke into Country Jack’s in Broadway and stole 20 cartons of cigarettes. The business’ surveillance cameras caught two people inside the store. The suspects’ vehicle was also caught by the business’ surveillance system.
The Union County Sheriff’s Office was alerted of the breaking and entering by the business’ alarm system.
Det. Adam Haycox, with the Union County Sheriff’s Office, looked at the case and noticed it fit a pattern of other break-ins around the region. In all the break-ins, the suspects had a particular way of “punching out” door locks. Once inside, the group would use trash bags and cans to help steal a variety of items, but mostly cigarettes.
Haycox also recognized that the pattern fit a pattern from years ago involving Foster. A former locksmith, Foster was adept at using the punch out method of beating locks. He also had a history of similar break-ins.
The investigators were able to put together a group of suspects, including Foster. They began following Foster and were following him and another man when they were caught in the act of burglarizing a store in Morrow County.
Haycox was able to connect Foster to break-ins not only in Union and Morrow counties but also in Franklin, Delaware, Fairfield, Fayette, Perry and Madison counties.
Investigators said Foster headed what prosecutors called “a criminal crew” that stole more than $29,000 worth of cigarettes during the break-ins. Investigators said the cigarettes were either sold or traded for crack cocaine and cash.
Foster had been hospitalized after becoming ill while an inmate at Tri-County Regional Jail. Foster was placed on oxygen when released from the hospital. To avoid exposure, the court wanted to sentence Foster via video, but he refused to waive his personal appearance in court.
He was brought to court with his portable oxygen. Foster first tried to withdraw his guilty plea. After a hearing, the court denied his request.
Foster then apparently then ran out of oxygen and claimed he couldn’t breath and was having a panic attack. Medics were called and Foster was taken to Memorial Hospital.
Released an hour later, Foster returned to court where he was finally sentenced.
During the hearing, Union County Judge Don Fraser said Foster has “an extensive record of felony convictions.” Has said that with the new cases, Foster has at least 25 felony convictions, starting when Foster turned 33, but added, “there may be more.”
He said Foster was not remorseful and was likely to reoffend. Fraser sentenced Foster to an indefinite prison term of 10.5 to 14.5 years in prison. He was ordered to pay more than $25,000 in restitution to the victims.
Foster’s codefendants, Gabriel Louis Odom and Tracie Nicole Chambers, both of Columbus, are still going through the legal process.
Chambers, 42, is charged with four counts of breaking and entering along with one count each of grand theft and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
Odom, 48, is charged with five counts of breaking and entering along with one count each of theft and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
Phillips said one of Foster’s previous convictions, and sentencing in particular, led to changes in the way judges can impose prison sentences.
In 2003, Foster pleaded no contest to a variety of charges including breaking and entering, possession of cocaine, safecracking, grand theft of a motor vehicle, forgery and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
He and was sentenced to nine years, but his sentence was appealed to the Ohio Supreme Court. His attorney successfully argued that the judge could not sentence him to more than minimum consecutive sentences because the law required a jury to make certain findings before that could be done.
The court agreed and reduced the man’s sentence.
Eventually, because of the ruling, legislators changed the state sentencing regulations so judges could use certain considerations to increase prison sentences.