BANGOR, Maine — The woman who pawned the rings stolen from the home of former Major League Baseball player Matt Stairs was sentenced Wednesday at the Penobscot Judicial Center to three years in prison with all but four months suspended on charges related to that theft and two others.
Andrea J. Bouchard, 28, of Old Town admitted earlier this year when she pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary, two counts of theft and two counts of receiving stolen property that she pawned items stolen from homes in Bangor, Milford, Old Town and Kenduskeag, Penobscot County District Attorney R. Christopher Almy said Wednesday after her sentencing.
In addition to jail time, Superior Court Justice William Anderson ordered Bouchard to be on probation for two years after she completes her sentence, Almy said. The judge also ordered the woman to pay $5,000 in restitution for the pawned items, including some taken from the Stairs’ former residence, that were not recovered;
“Some of the [Stairs’] family jewelry was recovered but not the championship rings,” Almy said after the sentencing.
None of the victims appeared in court Wednesday.
Bouchard remains free on $1,000 bail. Anderson ordered her to begin serving her sentence on Nov. 6 at the Penobscot County Jail.
Charges against Bouchard’s husband, Jamie M. Bouchard, 34, of Old Town are pending, according to the district attorney.
Jamie Bouchard pleaded not guilty earlier this month to two counts of burglary and two counts of theft by unauthorized taking. He is being held at the Penobscot County Jail unable to make bail set at $30,000, according to a previously published report.
Stairs was in Canada for his induction into New Brunswick’s Sports Hall of Fame the weekend of June 9-10 when his daughter called to say the family home in Bangor had been burglarized, according to a previously published report. The burglars took jewelry, including his National League and American League championship rings, a National League championship pendant belonging to his wife, and some watches.
The Moncton, New Brunswick, native now lives in Fredericton, New Brunswick.
Stairs said in July that the family had discussed the move for years and the recent house burglary expedited the decision. Stairs bought a house in Bangor in November 2000, the same day he was traded by the Oakland Athletics to the Chicago Cubs.
He said earlier this year that he would continue to work as a part-time studio analyst for Boston Red Sox games with the New England Sports Network. He is in his first year with NESN.
Sentenced to three years and only has to serve four months? What is wrong with this picture???
She didn’t fare as well as that Gahagan fellow, who stole $50,000. He only got 60 days. Same judge. I don’t think you have to reach very far for an answer as to why there are a lot of these cases.
Who appointed this “Judge”?
give her 3 years and suspend 4 monrths that way she does 2 years 8 months
I checked another news source and she only received 4 months of jail time. The article in this paper makes it sound as if she was given a longer sentence.
Edit: Checked another news source that doesn’t have confusing information in the article.
How is it confusing at all? She was sentenced to three years, but will serve four months. Pretty straightforward.
Four months will be just enough time to clear up all the meth bug scars on her face. Maine needs a Douching of their justice system..
Everything
So, the Milo town manager stole $50,000. and got just 60 days, and probably no probation after serving?
Four months? Boy that will teach her judge!
I think they should both stay in jail until they produce the championship rings!!!
And when they get out, they should have to pay the state back for their room and board. Maine isn’t running a bed and breakfast for miscreants.
And my family’s heirloom jewelry.
I am not saying what she did was right, but the only reason she got the time is because he is a star, well most people think he is, personally me i do not think he is anything but a baseball player that could not make it any longer
Yea, she really got some hard time there….and yes anyone can play for almost 20 years in the major leagues it is a joke, he was really lucky (sarcasm dkenzie, just in case you don’t get it)
Its not that i do not think he could play anymore, kind of makes me mad that the cops made this a priority to catch these people, but i got broke in to my office, stolen was over two grand and five computers, that got put on the shelf. They can not even find a file on it.
Time to call in Batman
Whoever has that ring should do the right thing and send it to its rightful owner.
Sounds like Bangor crime contributed to his decision to move out of the city.
I’d like to have my wedding rings and family jewelry back too but that’s not going to happen! They stole many thousands of dollars worth of jewelry from these homes and she gets this sentence… It’s almost laughable. It’s no wonder people like this keep repeating the crimes over and over again. There are no real consequences for them!
You stay classy, Bangor.
I’m disgusted and offended by this sentence. There was more stolen than just an MLB ring owned by Matt Stairs. Thousands and thousands of dollars worth taken from several homes. From hard-working, honest people. How many hours do you have to work to cover the cost of your wedding ring? Or your laptop computer? Or your family photo album? (That last one is priceless, obviously.)
left bangor 25 years ago after graduating from college. sickens me to see the trash and immigrants who have ruined the region
scum bags who should be shunned, driven off like the trash they are
OK so what happens to the pawn dealers? I don’t know about Maine but in most states this is strictly regulated and there should be a paper trail to the end buyer and a criminal investigation into the pawn shop owner, there is no way they could not have known it was hot property