Crested Butte South burglary case closed with sentencing

Jail, probation, restitution

by Mark Reaman

The case of a Crested Butte South man and a woman who were accused of burglarizing the Crested Butte South General Store last spring concluded last week when the man pleaded guilty to a felony charge in Gunnison District Court and was sentenced to probation along with some jail time. The woman had pleaded guilty to two charges in the incident last October.

According to attorney Sherry McKenzie, public information officer for the Seventh Judicial District, 33–year-old Jeffrey Geiger entered a plea of guilty to a charge of criminal mischief between $1,000 and $5,000 on January 18. That is a class 6 felony.

Co-defendant Kayla Oest Gagliano, 23, pled guilty to criminal mischief between $1,000 and $5,000, a class 6 felony and criminal mischief between $750 and $1,000, a class 1 misdemeanor.

The newly opened Crested Butte South General Store was burglarized on April 7. According to the Mt. Crested Butte police report at the time, damage occurred to property and merchandise inside the store. Upon investigation, Mt. Crested Butte police quickly suspected Geiger and Gagliano of the action. Additional damaged property, mostly electronics, was found at the suspects’ residence, according to the police report. Cash and other miscellaneous property were also seized from the residence.

“Mr. Geiger was sentenced on January 20, 2017 before the Honorable J. Steven Patrick in Gunnison District Court,” explained McKenzie. “The sentence imposed by Judge Patrick included two years of probation, 60 days of jail with two days credit for time served, restitution in the amount of $5,193.31 along with court fees and costs. Mr. Geiger is to also abstain from alcohol and drugs, including medical marijuana. Ms. Gagliano was sentenced by Judge Patrick on October 14 to two years deferred sentence to be supervised by probation, 96 hours of Community Service, a fee of $78 for the Victim Assistance Fund, and Court costs and fees.”