Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 23, 1994 TAG: 9407210007
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Bernard Stanley Brennan, 48, of St. Petersburg, will be placed on probation for five years after he serves the prison time.
Brennan pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Circuit Court to four counts of grand larceny and 18 petty larceny charges. A trespassing charge was not prosecuted.
The thefts were discovered in April 1993 when Brennan was seen coming out of an empty office at Pamplin Hall, said Peggy Frank, assistant commonwealth's attorney.
Hap Bonham, associate dean of administration and research, testified at a preliminary hearing last year that when confronted, Brennan told him he was buying used books but did not have permission to be on campus.
Bonham testified that Brennan ran away during their conversation and Bonham pursued him into the parking lot, where Brennan got into his car, a black BMW.
During a search of the car, police found several boxes of books in the trunk and later found more books at a Christiansburg motel where Brennan was staying.
About 160 books were recovered. All but about 50 were later identified by Tech professors as having been stolen from their offices.
Frank said in court Wednesday that the grand larceny charges stem from books being taken from four individuals who placed their value at $200 or more. In the 18 other cases, the books were worth less than that amount.
Brennan also will have to pay $50 fines for each petty larceny conviction.
by CNB