The last of five men convicted of a Troy home break-in — all believed to be part of an international crime ring and in the U.S. illegally — has been sentenced. Like the others, he could be released in less than a year based on the minimum penalty handed down.
At a hearing Tuesday morning in Oakland County Circuit Court, Judge Victoria Valentine sentenced Omar Giovanny Rodriguez-Aponte of Colombia to 9 months – 15 years for second-degree home invasion, which he pleaded guilty to in October. He was credited with 117 days served in the Oakland County Jail, which shaved nearly four months off his sentence.
Rodriguez-Aponte’s four co-defendants were previously sentenced by Valentine after pleading no contest to charges in connection with the Aug. 1 daytime break-in at a residence on Millay Drive. They include:
• Mexican Luis Felipe Camargo, aka Alberto Franco Jimenez, aka Franco Venezolana, sentenced to 9 months – 15 years for home invasion
• Colombian Owen Jean Cortes, sentenced to 12 months – 15 years for home invasion and 12 months – 10 years for possession of burglary tools
• Colombian Michel Alba Rincon, sentenced to 9 months – 15 years for home invasion
• Colombian Giovanny Castellanos-Forero, sentenced to 9 months – 15 years home invasion
All were given credit for time served.
According to the Troy Police Department, the break-in was detected by a homeowner who spotted a masked intruder while watching a security camera set up in his residence. The homeowner was reportedly at work at the time. It was later determined multiple suspects were involved in the home invasion. The Department of Homeland Security has indicated there’s “probable cause to believe (all five) are here (in the United States) illegally,” police said.
Issues with the five men’s immigration status will be handled by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said.