3 charged in high-end, rampant burglary ring

SALT LAKE CITY — Three men have been charged with a total of 61 burglary-related crimes stemming from a rash of thefts from homes in Cottonwood Heights, Sandy and Millcreek last summer.

The trio are accused of brazen day-time crimes that happened after they entered  garages and swiped about anything they could grab and later pawn.

Kenneth Cody Fitzgerald, 27, Dylan Mitani, 21, and Kyle Wayne Gunter, 23, have all been charged in 3rd District Court with four counts of first-degree felony burglary, as well as multiple counts of felony theft in a crime spree police say was driven by their need for drugs.

In one instance, a Cottonwood Heights man reported that his bike valued at $7,000 was taken from his garage on Aug. 23 and within two days had been pawned at a Midvale pawn shop. Another bike valued at $4,000 was stolen out of a garage Aug. 27 in Salt Lake County and golf clubs valued at $2,650 were swiped from another garage Aug. 25 in Salt Lake County.

Cottonwood Heights Police Sgt. Mark Askerlund said the trio hit at least a dozen homes in that city and victimized residences in Murray, Sandy and the Millcreek area. When law enforcement pressure became too intense in Salt Lake County, the trio shifted their operation to Utah County.

"They'd take anything they could walk out of yards or garages with," Askerlund said. "They'd look for open garages ... people could be in the backyards and have their stuff stolen practically right from under their eyes."

The stolen property was then pawned within a day or two for pennies on the dollar. Two of the men told investigators the three would split the money from the pawn shop and buy heroin.

Fitzgerald is facing prosecution on 22 felonies, Mitani had 25 felonies and one misdemeanor lodged against him and Gunter was charged with 13 felonies. The charges include theft and theft by deception.

All three have been convicted twice within the past 10 years of other property-related crimes, elevating the severity of the criminal offenses.

Multiple criminal cases are already pending among the trio in Utah County.

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