Felon pleads guilty to home break-ins, bank robberies

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A man will spend more than a decade in prison following guilty pleas in several crimes in New Hanover County.

Joseph Howard, 35, pleaded guilty to six home break-ins and two robberies in a New Hanover County courtroom on Wednesday. He was sentenced to between 12 and 15 years for the crimes and was ordered to pay $94,692 in restitution.

Prosecutors said Howard along with three others broke into homes during April and May of 2014. When Howard bonded out of jail in June on those crimes, he robbed the a First Citizens Bank and tried to rob a Bank of America. He wore the same clothes in both events, was identified and arrested.

One of the others charged in the break-ins, Kimberly Mayhew, pleaded guilty in November 2015. Prosecutors said the other two, James Smallwood and Eric Howard are set to go to trial next month.