
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, January 7, 1995                   TAG: 9501090047
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: TODD JACKSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ROCKY MOUNT                                LENGTH: Short

62-YEAR-OLD BURGLAR FREE ON $43,000 BOND

A 62-year-old burglar sentenced to 40 years in prison Thursday was released on $45,000 bond Friday after meeting with a Franklin County judge.

A jury found Euell Bowman of Bassett guilty Thursday of breaking and entering while armed and grand larceny and sentenced him to 20 years in prison for each charge.

Circuit Judge B.A. Davis III will impose the sentence after a presentencing report.

Bowman's sentence will not fall under Virginia's no-parole guidelines that took effect Jan.1, according to Franklin County Commonwealth's Attorney Cliff Hapgood, because Bowman committed the crimes in October.

Investigators testified Thursday that they were watching a home in Endicott on Oct.4 when they caught Bowman and two other men - Flemon E. Worrell, 32, of Patrick County and James S. Brown, 40, of Bassett - trying to steal furniture.

The surveillance operation had been begun several days before, when the owner of the house reported a break-in.

Worrell was tried on breaking and entering and grand larceny charges Thursday. The jury fined him $750 on each count, but he received no jail time.

Brown, who also was scheduled for trial Thursday, pleaded guilty to breaking and entering and grand larceny Thursday morning. He will be sentenced later.

Bowman and Brown - as well as Bowman's son David, 37 - are charged with similar crimes in Franklin and Patrick counties.

by CNB