Versailles teen pleads guilty and is sentenced on Arson, Burglary charges

Wanda English Burnett
Editor

Cameron Powers, 18 of Versailles, pled guilty to Arson and Burglary on January 19 more than a year after Pat’s Bulk Foods, south of Versailles, was burglarized and burned in November of 2010. The business was considered a total loss.

Powers was just 17 at the time the crimes were committed, but was waived into adult court at a hearing on February 9, 2011.

Ripley County Circuit Court Judge Carl Taul sentenced Powers to 15 years incarceration on Count I, Arson, a Class B Felony with five years suspended, with credit for 344 days already served in the Ripley County Jail.

On the Burglary charge, which is a Class C Felony, Powers was sentenced to three years with Department of Corrections and two years suspended to probation. The sentences are to run consecutively with each other.

Powers was represented by Batesville attorney, Amy Streator.

Upon release from prison, Powers will have to comply with all conditions of probation for seven years. Some of the conditions of probation include not committing another criminal offense, reporting to his probation officer, not possessing or using any firearm, destructive device or other dangerous weapon, and not using alcohol or drugs.

The defendant is to pay restitution to Pat and Gary Conant, owners of Pat’s Bulk Foods, in the amount of $18,375.00, along with court and probation fees. Gary Conant testified at the sentencing hearing telling how he and his wife were devastated following the fire that destroyed their business at one of the busiest times of the year, just before the holidays.

Powers was also ordered to complete 30 hours of community service through the probation department following his imprisonment.

The court released information pursuant to Indiana Code 35-38-1-5(b) that it currently costs an average of $53.96 per day to house an adult inmate at the Indiana Department of Corrections. That would make the estimated total cost $216,649.40 to house Powers for his time of imprisonment. This estimated cost does not include any reductions that could take place during the course of the incarceration.