KC man sentenced to 17 years for role in burglary ring that hit 100 businesses
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Idonnas J. Gavrilys pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 17 years in prison.
- Investigators linked Gavrilys to a crew believed responsible for at least 100 burglaries.
- Cases for four other suspects in the burglary ring are ongoing in Jackson County.
A Kansas City man accused of running a burglary ring pleaded guilty Thursday to burglary at multiple small businesses over the course of at least two years.
Idonnas J. Gavrilys, 26, was sentenced to 17 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections as part of a plea deal, admitting his role in 13 burglaries and property damage to an ATM at one of the businesses. Investigators said the burglary ring may have been involved in at least 100 burglaries across Kansas City.
Four armed criminal action charges against Gavrilys were dropped as part of his plea deal in Jackson County Circuit Court.
Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson said on social media Thursday that she personally patronizes businesses that Gavrilys burglarized, like Anchor Island Coffee, Topsy’s and Strips Chicken.
“We want the small business community to know that we take these things seriously, that we are collaborating with law enforcement, and we are absolutely pursuing justice on behalf of the aggrieved,” Johnson said.
Police connect Gavrilys to string of burglaries
According to charging documents, Gavrilys was part of a burglary crew that police believed to be responsible for at least 100 small business burglaries.
Prosecutors say the group targeted businesses overnight by smashing windows, stealing cash, registers and safes, then fled in stolen or rented vehicles. They wore dark clothes and masks during the break-ins.
Investigators identified Gavrilys and four other suspects after noticing a pattern in the burglaries.
Investigators spent months tying Gavrilys to the crimes through cell phone location records, surveillance video, vehicle registrations and testimony from an alleged accomplice.
Gavrily’s cell phone repeatedly appeared at or near the burglary sites, court documents said. His phone frequently went inactive during the window of time the burglaries took place, leading investigators to believe he shut it off intentionally to avoid tracking.
Police say another man arrested in connection with the burglaries identified Gavrilys as one of the men who burglarized Charlie D’s Bar in Kansas City, stealing around $300 and causing thousands of dollars in property damage.
Four other suspects face charges
The burglary ring involved at least six people, prosecutors previously said in a news release last year. Other than Gavrilys, four other men have been arrested and charged in connection with the crimes: Dante K. Draper, Michael L. Hill, Javaune Tucker, and Kevin Ellison. Their cases are ongoing in Jackson County.
Johnson said on social media that Gavrilys’ sentencing is a “victory for the business community and Jackson County as a whole.”
Gavrilys’ attorney Matthew Merryman spoke to reporters at the courthouse Thursday. He told KMBC that the saw the sentencing as a fair and equitable resolution to the case.
On Thursday, Johnson released a video on social media saying statistics show crime in the downtown and Crossroads neighborhoods is down this year.
Property crime is significantly down on the year, she said, but did not share specific statistics Thursday.
