BOULDER, Colorado — A man has pleaded guilty in connection with the theft of more than $13,000 in valuable comic books from a Boulder store last year, according to court documents.
James Wear, 35, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of theft and one count of criminal mischief, both felonies. The other charges against him were dismissed as part of the plea agreement, according to court documents.
According to the arrest affidavit in the case, a burglar broke into Time Warp Comics and Games, at 3105 28th St., about 3 a.m. July 28 and cleaned out a display case containing 22 comics valued at $13,774. One was "Amazing Spider-Man 300," valued at $6,200, and others were signed by Marvel legend Stan Lee, according to store owner Wayne Winsett.
The burglar broke a glass door to get in, costing another $2,700 in cleanup, according to the affidavit.
On Aug. 11, Boulder Police arrested Wear on suspicion of:
- Second-degree burglary
- Theft
- Criminal mischief
- Two counts of criminal violation of a protection order, a misdemeanor
About a week after the burglary, a man who identified himself as Wear contacted two comic book stores in Colorado Springs to sell several books. The man was accompanied at both stores by a woman who had a baby.
One of the store owners told police that Wear told him a story about how his sister's husband had died and he was trying to sell the man's books. The store owner had seen media coverage of the theft and realized nine of 10 books that Wear sold him were stolen from Time Warp, the affidavit says.
A second store owner in Colorado Springs told police that the same man had sold him eight books. Both store owners identified Wear or his vehicle from photographs, according to the affidavit.
Wear had several arrest warrants – many of them out of Ohio. He also had protection order violations in Boulder County where the protected parties were listed as the woman and baby who accompanied him to the Colorado Springs stores, the affidavit says.
Wear had also recently fought with Boulder County Sheriff's Office deputies and then ran from them, the affidavit says. A sheriff's office deputy told police that Wear "will do anything to get away and to not be arrested and to be prepared for a fight." The deputy said Wear goes from city to city to avoid charges.
Wear was previously arrested in Boulder County in May on suspicion of burglary, kidnapping, criminal mischief, third-degree assault and misdemeanor child abuse.
Detectives were able to recover all but five of the stolen comic books, police said.
> The surveillance video below is from the Time Warp Comics break-in:
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