West found not guilty in Powermatic burglary

There was no honor among thieves Wednesday as a confessed burglar testified against his alleged partner in crime. However, the testimony was not enough to convict the accused accomplice in last year’s Powermatic break-in.

The defendant on trial Wednesday, Stephen West, was acquitted on charges of theft, vandalism and burglary, brought against him following two break-ins at the former Powermatic building (now McMinnville MegaMarket) located in Westwood.

Meanwhile, the man who admitted his involvement in the heist, Royce Cothren, was sentenced to serve 360 days of a five-year sentence. He also agreed to testify against West.

Like Cothren, West was accused of breaking into the then-abandoned Powermatic building in January and March of 2006. During the break-ins, several items being stored at the facility were stolen.

The items included a 1994 Ford Ranger and a skid loader, along with smaller items such as saws and drills.

The burglar or burglars also stripped copper wiring from the building to sell for scrap, the stripping causing damage to the structure itself.

During trial Wednesday, Cothren testified West assisted in the thefts. However, the defense questioned if there was a deal hatched between Cothren and prosecutors in order to get him to testify against West. Cothren said he agreed to the plea agreement separately from any agreement to testify against West.

In the end, with Cothren providing the only direct link between West and the crime, jurors acquitted the suspect, setting him free. The man who testified against him also ended up going free as Cothren was released on time served following his appearance in court, although he will be under house arrest as part of his community corrections release.

In addition to the burglary, Cothren also entered a plea to an unrelated incident where he allegedly fired a gun into a house, damaging several pieces of property inside the residence.