The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that a thief who was part of a trio that robbed Hall of Famer Hank Aaron’s southwest Atlanta home was sentenced to eight years in jail and 42 years of probation, an unusually harsh sentence for Fulton County. Isiah Slaton, 24, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Shawn LaGrua after pleading guilty to pilfering Aaron’s baseball rings meant for the Hall of Fame, numerous pieces of jewelry, and Aaron’s two BMWs on July 14, 2013.
Aaron and his wife Billye were visiting New York City for the 2013 All-Star game when the burglars disabled the alarm system at Aaron’s home. The deposed home-run king, out of town, missed the alarm company’s notification, but a neighbor spotted the shattered window of the home and called police.
The trio of burglars could not disable the BMW’s “LoJack” systems, and left one of the BMWs roughly a mile away; the other vehicle was discovered in Cobb County. Investigators found fingerprints on one of the cars, enabling them to make an arrest three weeks later.
On Tuesday, jury selection began in the trial of one of the other alleged thieves, Amir Coleman. The third alleged thief, Edward Buford, is awaiting his case. Deputy District Attorney Shondeana Morris, a prosecutor with a record of winning harsh sentences, is supervising the case.
Aaron said in his victim impact statement that the incident made him feel “violated” and that the stolen items were “priceless.”
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