Described as a "career burglar," man faces six felonies, accused in "year-long burglary spree"

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Described as a career burglar, accused in a string of burglaries that netted more than $500,000 in stolen goods, Marvin Jones made his initial appearance in court on Monday, October 27th -- Jones' 51st birthday.

Jones faces six felonies -- three counts of burglary of a business or dwelling, one count of possession of burglarious tools, one count of driving or operating a vehicle without consent, and one count of receiving stolen property.

Jones is accused of committing more than 40 burglaries in Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, the city of Milwaukee and Wauwatosa among other neighborhoods.

"These are rare cases, certainly, where somebody is generally responsible for so many activities," Milwaukee County Chief Deputy District Attorney Kent Lovern said.

During what investigators say was a year-long burglary spree, Jones was able to take more than half-a-million dollars in jewelry and electronics. Roughly 50 homeowners have gotten their stolen possessions back.

"It`s nice to recover some of the items. It`s unfortunate we can`t recover some very valuable things, but it is certainly gratifying to recover some of the items taken from people," Lovern said.

Jones faces nearly 80 years in prison. He was caught after a months-long investigation by the District Attorney's Office and the help of local law enforcement agencies.

"We were able to tie up a lot of information we were gathering from these outside police departments to identify a suspect," Lovern said.

Lovern says they're continuing to work to return the remaining stolen goods to whom they belong.

"We`re hopeful that we can certainly return them to the rightful owners," Lovern said.

If you believe some of the items stolen belong to you, you're asked to contact your local police department.

A judge has set bond at $20,000 for Jones -- and he's due back in court for his preliminary hearing next Tuesday, November 4th.

Related stories: