A career criminal who smashed car windows throughout DUMBO over the summer will be making license plates for at least 3-1/2 years.
Darren Stone, 43, a.k.a “Squarehead,” was sentenced on Monday in state Supreme Court for a single break-in back in April — but got the 3-1/2- to seven-year sentence because of an extensive criminal record and a DNA link to a series of misdemeanor break-ins during the summer.
“There were felonies, and the lawyers, district attorneys and judge ended up wrapping [the charges] all into one felony plea,” said a spokesman for Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes.
In the months leading up to Stone’s arrest, cops at the 84th Precinct beefed up patrols, hoping to catch the burglar in action.
One resident even started a virtual “Citizens Patrol” where victims could post their experiences and what was stolen. The Web site abruptly stopped just after Stone was arrested.
Stone’s court-appointed attorney, Kleon Andreadis, said that his client did not plead guilty to anything but a single second-degree mischief count.
“His case only surrounded one particular incident in April,” he said.
“From my standpoint there’s nothing extraordinary about the case except his significant record,” said Andreadis. “A guy broke into a car and got caught. He’s clearly been a person of interest to police and the people in the community for a long time.”
