CAVALIER COUNTY, ND (trfnews.i234.me) – On August 1, Jonathan Wayne Royce, a 35-year-old from Montana, was sentenced to four years in prison for a burglary he committed in Cavalier County, North Dakota, last year. Royce, who pleaded guilty to five of his 11 charges, admitted to two Class B felonies: night burglary and theft between $10,000 and $50,000. He also confessed to two Class C felonies involving the theft of a key and a money-related implement, as well as a Class A misdemeanor for theft facilitation.
The burglary, which took place in Fairdale on March 13, 2023, involved the theft of six firearms, money, jewelry, vehicle titles, and other items, totaling an estimated $12,085. The unauthorized use of credit cards and checks added $31,804.15 to the stolen funds. Royce was linked to the crime through stolen check usage and DNA evidence.
Charged in July 2023 but apprehended only in February 2024 in Dawson County, Montana, Royce will serve the first four years of a 10-year sentence with the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Following his prison term, he will be on supervised probation for three years and has already received credit for 165 days served.