A former Hot Springs man who pleaded guilty Monday to multiple vehicle break-ins last year, including many belonging to local law enforcement officers, was sentenced Tuesday following a bench hearing in Garland County Circuit Court.
Nemanja Stojanovic, 28, who now lives in Florida, had pleaded guilty to six felony counts of breaking or entering and was sentenced by Judge John Homer Wright to six years in prison, with the entire sentence suspended, and ordered to pay $4,000 in restitution to his victims. A misdemeanor count of first-degree criminal mischief was withdrawn.
An alleged accomplice, Jonathan David Forte, who is charged with two counts of breaking or entering and one count of first-degree criminal mischief, is set to appear Nov. 14 in circuit court. Michael Fred Allen Lester, 26, who was arrested on two counts of theft by receiving and three counts of possession of a firearm by certain persons in connection with the thefts is set to stand trial Dec. 7.
Stojanovic's attorney, Brent Miller, said Tuesday his client provided Garland County sheriff's investigators with information leading to the arrest of Lester and directed them to multiple locations in the county where some of the items stolen from the vehicles were dumped or hidden.
"He admitted to everything," Miller said, noting he had traded items, including firearms, stolen from the vehicles to Lester in exchange for drugs. He said Stojanovic admitted they started targeting the marked SUV law enforcement units after successfully stealing a firearm from one, but "in most of them the guns were locked and secured" so he stole other items.
After his arrest Aug. 15, 2016, and his later release on $21,000 bond, Stojanovic "on his own volition put himself through rehab," Miller said, completing a program in Dallas and then transferring to another program in Boca Raton, Calif., where "he did so well they hired him as an employee" and submitted letters of recommendation to Wright.
"He didn't need drug court to make him do the right thing," Miller said. "He now helps other addicts and puts his experience to good use." He noted Stojanovic had no prior felony convictions before his arrest and was willing to testify in the upcoming cases if needed.
According to the affidavit, on Aug. 15, 2016, around 2 a.m., sheriff's deputies made a traffic stop in the 100 block of Jordan on a 2004 Nissan Sentra and the driver, identified as Stojanovic, and his passenger, identified as Forte, were both arrested after they smelled marijuana and then found multiple items inside the vehicle that had been reported stolen.
When interviewed, Stojanovic gave specific details about various break-ins he had engaged in, allegedly with Forte.
According to the affidavits on the break-ins, at around 7 a.m. on Aug. 14, a sheriff's deputy reported the front passenger window of his patrol unit had been broken while parked at his residence and his county-issued Bushmaster AR-15, portable breathalyzer, laptop, wallet and an undisclosed amount of money were missing.
A Hot Springs police officer reported the front passenger window of his patrol unit had been broken into at his residence and a black bag, usually located in the front passenger seat, was lying on the ground next to the unit. No items were reported missing.
At around 12:16 a.m. on Aug. 15, a police detective reported the back passenger side tire of his patrol unit had been slashed and he observed two males running away from his residence. HSPD Police Chief Jason Stachey reported the front passenger window of his patrol unit was broken, but no items were taken.
Additional items reported stolen from two other incidents were a .22-caliber revolver with holster, a backpack, game camera, flashlight, flashlight charger and a GPS.
Local on 11/09/2017