A Laramie man pleaded not guilty to one count of burglary in Albany County District Court today.

Steven Ruiz could face up to 10 years in prison and $10,000 in fines if convicted.

According to court documents, on June 7,  a Laramie Police officer met with a man who reported a burglary at his residence in Laramie. The victim told the officer that he was missing a pair of headphones worth $250 from his bedroom, which he said he always kept locked. The victim said he shared the three bedroom apartment with his roommate, Ruiz, who had only lived there a few weeks.

The victim said Ruiz had recently asked the victim to loan him for $80 to help pay for rent. The victim said he had last seen the headphones on June 2 and noticed they were missing on June 4. The victim said on June 5 or 6, he noticed the door to his room was cracked near the deadbolt.

The officer discovered that Ruiz had pawned three items at Mister Money, including a pair of headphones matching the description of the ones the victim was missing. He had also pawned a black watch and a keyboard, court documents state.

The officer invited the victim to examine the headphones, which he said were his. The officer then interviewed Ruiz, who denied stealing the headphones. Ruiz claimed he had bought the headphones from the victim and pawned them for a profit. The victim said he hadn’t sold the items to Ruiz. The victim also recognized the black watch as his and said it was missing from his room.

Ruiz is free on a $10,000 signature bond. His trial date has not been set.

 

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