A Monroe County jury discovered 64-year-old Ned Jeffery Layton responsible of grand theft on July 15, following a two-day trial earlier than Circuit Decide Mark Wilson.
Layton, a repeat offender with a prolonged and violent legal historical past, was sentenced on Aug. 28, to seven years in Florida jail adopted by three years of probation. Decide Wilson additionally ordered Layton to pay fines and court docket prices.
The primary 5 years of his sentence should be served “day-for-day,” that means he is not going to be eligible for early launch, achieve time or different sentence reductions throughout that interval. Layton was to start serving his jail time period instantly.
The state efficiently pursued enhanced penalties below Florida’s ordinary felony offender statute because of Layton’s in depth legal report, which incorporates prior convictions for theft, battery on an individual over 65, felony theft, grand theft and legal mischief.
This newest conviction arose from an incident on July 28, 2023, when Layton was caught stealing almost $1,900 price of merchandise from the Key West Dwelling Depot. Detectives with the Key West Police Division’s Prison Investigations Unit discovered Layton retrieving boxed instruments he had hidden beneath a rental trailer within the car parking zone. Among the many stolen gadgets had been a Lincoln 180 HD wire feed welder, a Ridgid 6-gallon air compressor with a three-tool combo, a DeWalt 20-volt Max XR combo equipment, and a Lincoln Port-A-Torch welder.
Video surveillance confirmed Layton entered the shop with an empty cart and exited minutes later with the merchandise, passing all factors of sale with out paying. A Dwelling Depot worker acknowledged him instantly and offered sworn statements and documentation.
“This case demonstrates precisely why Florida has ordinary offender sentencing legal guidelines,” State Lawyer Dennis Ward stated. “Mr. Layton has made a profession out of stealing and hurting others. With this sentence, our neighborhood is safer, and Monroe County residents can relaxation assured that repeat offenders will probably be held totally accountable.”
Chief Assistant State Lawyer Joseph Mansfield credited Assistant State Attorneys Maddie Thompson and Mike Tettleman for his or her work on this case. Ward additionally counseled the work of Detectives Kenneth Waite and Marcus del Valle and the Key West Police Division, in addition to the cooperation of the Dwelling Depot employees.