Brothers Shawn and Jeremiah Cooler were sentenced to prison by a Santa Rosa County circuit judge after being convicted for burglarizing a home in Navarre last year.
According to a press release from State Attorney Bill Eddins Office, Shawn Demontre Cooler, 20, of Pensacola was sentenced to 25 years in state prison and his older brother Jeremiah, 21, of Molino will serve 10 years on charges of burglary and grand theft of a firearm.
The conviction stems from an incident on January 14, 2014 in which a eye witness saw the two men enter a home on Gordon Evans Road in Navarre. Once Santa Rosa County sheriffs deputies arrived on scene it was discovered the home’s front door had been kicked in with two firearms, electronic items and several pieces of jewelry were stolen. According to the press release, a deputy witnessed Shawn Cooler driving towards Pensacola after the burglary took place. However,H Cooler was able to evade deputies in a high-speed pursuit.
Escambia County sheriffs deputies found the car and the siblings the following day at a Red Roof Inn on Davis Highway, the press release said. While Jeremiah was apprehended after caught throwing a backpack containing the stolen items into a dumpster, his brother was apprehended by deputies after attempting to flee on foot.
A Santa Rosa County jury found Shawn guilty of one count of burglary while armed with a firearm, two counts of grand theft of a firearm, grand theft and criminal mischief on July 9. Jeremiah was convicted of grand theft of a firearm and petit theft.
Following their prison sentences, Shawn will serve five years probation and Jeremiah was sentenced to 10 years probation.
The defendants were also previously convicted on April 14 of this year by a Santa Rosa County jury for various other charges. Shawn was convicted of Grand Theft and Jeremiah was convicted of three counts of Grand Theft of a Firearm. The two defendants were found guilty after being found in possession of three stolen firearms and electronics that were taken from a residence located on the 4400 block of Leavins Street in Milton on January 14, 2014.
At the time of the offenses, Shawn Cooler was on probation for Burglary, Grand Theft and Criminal Mischief. Those charges stemmed from an incident on June 13, 2012 when an Escambia County home was burglarized after the back door was kicked in. A handgun, jewelry and a television were taken in that burglary. On June 18, 2014 Shawn Cooler was found guilty of violating that probation and sentenced to 30 months State Prison.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Brothers sentenced for Navarre burglary