Men Sentenced in 2012 'Car Hopping' Thefts

Two men were given a combined sentence of 30 years of jail time for their role in a string of more than 20 thefts across Leesburg earlier this year.

The sentences, a large portion of which were suspended in favor of supervised or unsupervised probation, were a result of charges brought against the two men for taking items from unlocked cars and open garages in the Woodlea, Greenway Farms and Potomac Station neighborhoods in Leesburg, police said Monday in a release.

Brian Romberger and Justin Easom were arrested and charged in March in connection with the cases.

Both pleaded guilty to burglary and grand larceny charges, along with three counts each of credit card fraud.

In October, a Loudoun County Circuit Court judge gave Romberger 13 years in prison for the crimes, seven of which were suspended.

The judge gave him three years of supervised probation and another 10 years of unsupervised probation, according to police.

Easom also pleaded guilty to similar charges. On Nov. 20, a Loudoun County Circuit Court judge gave him 17 years in prison for the crimes, nine of them suspended. Easom must complete five years of supervised probation after he is released, the judge ruled.

Both men must pay $3,264.98 each in restitution to the victims.

"While the act of removing property from an unlocked car may seem like a minor crime to some, these sentences are an example of how crime does not pay," LPD's Public Information Officer Chris Tidmore wrote in a release. "With the help of the community with information about the cases, these suspects were identified and arrested."

Tidmore also reminded citizens "to lock doors to both homes and cars to help prevent themselves from becoming the victim of a crime."