Jeremy A. Tresselt, who admitted burglarizing the Vraj Temple in Wayne Township in June 2013, is headed to state prison after being sentenced Tuesday in Schuylkill County Court.
A repentant Tresselt, 35, of Newmanstown, must serve two to four years in a state correctional institution, plus an additional year on probation, Judge Jacqueline L. Russell ruled.
“The defendant has a somewhat lengthy record,” Russell said. “There was a juvenile involved in this incident. It is imperative that the defendant be under supervision.”
Russell made the sentence consecutive to one already imposed on Tresselt in Lebanon County. She also sentenced Tresselt to pay costs, $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account and $6,074.96 to the temple, and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.
Tresselt, who sat through Tuesday’s 45-minute hearing in a prison jumpsuit, handcuffs and leg shackles, pleaded guilty on Oct. 20, 2014, to burglary, conspiracy, criminal trespass, theft, receiving stolen property and criminal mischief.
State police at Schuylkill Haven alleged Tresselt broke into the Hindu temple in Summit Station on June 19, 2013.
“It was a matter of desperation,” Tresselt testified in explaining his actions. “I had just come off a work-related injury. Bills were piling up. Child support was piling up.”
The defendant apologized to Russell and asked her to impose whatever sentence she thought was fair, although he told her the victims wanted restitution, not to see him behind bars. He also said he already has suffered punishment.
“I’ve lost my house. I’ve lost my kids,” Tresselt said.
Assistant Public Defender Michael A. O’Pake, Tresselt’s lawyer, unsuccessfully asked Russell to make the sentence concurrent with the Lebanon County one.
“This is a difficult case. This was not a drug-related incident,” O’Pake said. “He made some real, real bad decisions. Jeremy has changed.”
While Assistant District Attorney David J. Rice did not make a specific recommendation for the sentence, he said the temple’s forgiveness of Tresselt was not enough to satisfy justice.
“We’re dealing with some serious crimes here,” he said.
Tresselt pleaded guilty on Aug. 12, 2015, in Lebanon County Court to seven counts of conspiracy and one count each of burglary, criminal trespass, possessing instrument of crime, theft, receiving stolen property, corruption of minors, loitering and prowling at nighttime and criminal mischief in one case and four counts of conspiracy, two of possessing instrument of crime and one each of criminal mischief and loitering and prowling at nighttime in the other.
Lebanon County Judge Bradford H. Charles sentenced Tresselt on Oct. 28, 2015, to serve two to six years in a state correctional institution and pay costs, $800 in fines and $100 in CJEA payments and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.
In the first case, Millcreek Township police charged Tresselt with burglarizing a building on Jan. 17, 2014, in the township, while in the second, Lebanon police charged Tresselt with committing the other crimes on Feb. 11, 2014, in the city.