Cedar City man sentenced for guns, car stolen during crime spree

Stock image | Photo by Morakot Kawinchan/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A Cedar City man involved in a two-man crime spree was sentenced this week for multiple burglaries and thefts that were the focus of an intense investigation across Iron County.

Eric Lanham, left, and David Coche, booking photos. Lanham photo taken Nov. 16, 2018; Coche photo taken Nov. 17, 2018 | Photos courtesy of the Iron County Sheriff’s Office, Cedar City News / St. George News

Eric Lanham, 38, appeared in 5th District Court in Cedar City where he was sentenced in two cases. He was given up to five years in prison after pleading guilty to third-degree felony theft in one of the cases, but the sentence was suspended. In the other case a third-degree felony charge of theft by receiving stolen property was reduced to a misdemeanor, which be pleaded guilty to. He also pleaded guilty to misdemeanors for vehicle burglary, possession of a controlled substance, criminal mischief and theft by receiving stolen property.

Lanham was sentenced to 90 days in jail in each case, with the sentences to run simultaneously with no credit for time served, while the prison sentence was suspended. The judge also suspended all of the fines between both cases, which totaled more than $30,580, but did order Lanhem to pay restitution in the amount of $2,510 among five victims.

He was placed on 36 months probation.

Lanham was originally booked into jail Nov. 14 on four felonies and 14 misdemeanors in the wake of a large-scale investigation that began several days prior to his  arrest.

Read more: Investigation into Cedar City crime spree ends in arrest of 2 on multiple felony offenses

Police received reports of items that were stolen during vehicle and business burglaries. A vehicle was also stolen, along with at least two firearms and other property taken during business burglaries in the Fiddler Canyon area. The items were stored in various locations, including some that were hidden in a field.

Lanham was located by police days later driving the same vehicle that was reportedly stolen.

The second suspect, 56-year-old David Anthony Coche, of Cedar City, was sentenced in December after pleading guilty to two third-degree felonies, including theft and attempted theft, and was ordered to serve 100 days in jail.

Coche was ordered to pay $500 in fines, while $23,300 was suspended. He was also ordered to pay $2,510 in restitution among five victims and placed on 36 months probation.

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