SOUTH BEND — Recent cases handled in Pacific County Superior Court:

Jacob M. Stapleton, 26 — He was arrested by the Long Beach Police Department on April 6 after reportedly breaking into Herb N Legend in Long Beach and stealing vape pens. The incident was caught on surveillance camera. Another officer with the agency reviewed the footage and recognized that Stapleton was wearing the same clothing he wore in a previous arrest.

According to court records, Stapleton was facing charges of second-degree burglary, second-degree malicious mischief, and third-degree theft. The Pacific County Prosecutor’s Office amended his charges to one count of second-degree burglary. He pleaded guilty to the charge in a plea agreement.

Stapleton is scheduled to be sentenced June 20 and faces a standard range, with an offender score of 1, of 3-8 months in jail. The prosecutor’s office is recommending he be sentenced to eight months behind bars.

Stapleton had only been out of jail two weeks after pleading guilty in another case to breaking into a motorhome. In that instance, he was sentenced to 19 days in jail.

John F. N. Connery, 35 — He was arrested by the Raymond Police Department on Nov. 26, 2024, after violating a protection order barring him from going near a woman he refused to leave alone.

He faced two counts of stalking and two counts of violation of a protection order. He pleaded guilty in a plea agreement on May 30 to amended charges of attempted stalking.

According to court records, Connery faced a standard range, with an offender score of 2, of 9.75 to 12.75 months incarcerated and 12 months of community custody once released.

The prosecutor’s office recommended a sentence of 12.75 and 12 months of community custody, which Judge Donald J. Richter accepted.

The case was Connery’s second in two years in which he was previously convicted of stalking the same woman.