Thief Known As 'Willy Wonka' Gets 8 Years In Prison

SALEM, MA -- The 47-year-old man behind what is believed to be one of the biggest burglary prosecutions in Massachusetts history was sentenced to eight years in prison Wednesday. William Rodriguez, who went by the street names "Willy Wonka" and "Chocolate Man" had previously reached a plea deal with prosecutors to 36 commercial burglaries in four states. As part of the deal, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to additional indictments on Wednesday.

"Every night for over the past year, these defendants presented a danger to law enforcement and business owners throughout New England," Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said in a statement. "Beyond the physical danger posed by such break-ins and the multiple high-speed car chases that this crew engaged in, there was great financial harm inflicted by these crimes. Even during unsuccessful break-ins where no money is taken can cause upwards of $50,000 in damage, let alone the loss of the money and products if successful."

All five defendants in the case have reached plea deals with Blodgett's office, including two who pleaded guilty on Monday.

In August, authorities released details of the six-month investigation that led to the arrest of Rodriguez and four other suspects. They presented evidence of 17 commercial and ATM burglaries and 12 car thefts for a total of more than $300,000 in stolen goods in four states.

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Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).