Update: Stow Man Gets 5 Years for Stealing $25,000

Last updated: July 13, 4:57 p.m.

A Hile Road resident was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to stealing about $25,000 total from a string of thefts in Stow and Hudson dating back to November 2010.

Jake R. Johnson, 24, of Stow pleaded guilty to four counts of burglary, a second-degree felony, and one count of theft from the elderly, a fourth-degree felony at the Summit County Court of Common Pleas July 11.

Johnson pleaded guilty to 15 residential burglaries, 14 of which were in Stow. The other burglary happened in Hudson, according to Stow Police. The crimes took place between November 2010 and February 2011.

"Typically, [Johnson] walked up to the house and knocked on the front door to see if anyone was home," a press release stated. "If nobody answered the door, the suspect attempted to gain entry to the home by kicking in the man-door on the side of the attached garage or forcing open a door in the back of the home. Once inside of the home, the suspect stole jewelry, cash, weapons and flat-panel televisions."

Johnson was stopped by officers on Mac Drive after receiving a call about a suspicious person. After further investigation, Johnson was linked to the burglaries in Stow and Hudson, according to police.