Two Corbin men, who are accused of burglarizing numerous Whitley County businesses and offices during a 16-day crime spree and then going on the six o’clock news and confessing, can now add one circuit judge to the list of people who didn’t find their crime spree to be much of a laughing matter.
James Douglas Sprinkles, 18, and James Day, 19, both of Corbin, were indicted last month on eight counts of third-degree burglary.
During their very brief court appearance Monday afternoon, Circuit Judge Dan Ballou did all the talking.
Before recusing himself from hearing the case, Ballou ordered both men not to say a word, told them that he wanted his $5 knife back that says "Marines" on it, and then ordered them out of his courtroom. The pair have been incarcerated since their arrest.
Among the places broken into from May 22 through June 6 were Corbin Barber Shop, Roberta’s Market, Forest Bowling Lanes, Vittorinos Cucina Italian Restaurant, Contours Gym, Joy’s Kuntry Kookin, and the Kentucky and Probation Parole Office.
Ballou’s wife, Angie, is a probation and parole officer and the knife was apparently taken from her office during the break-in.
A piece of evidence that the grand jury didn’t hear in the men’s case, was an interview that the suspects gave to a Lexington television station WKYT confessing to much of the criminal activity, Commonwealth’s Attorney Allen Trimble said last month.
Trimble said that the interview would be "an element presented at trial."
During the June 11 jail house interview with WKYT reporter Phil Pendleton, both men admitted to the allegations and claimed their efforts were for a good cause, which was to help Day’s fiance with a medical condition. They have since broken up, and Day is unsure of what her condition is.
They also admitted to consuming much of the alcohol taken from Vittorinos.
Both sort of apologized during the interview for "bothering the community." Sprinkles said that he wasn’t sorry for what he did though.
Both said during the interview that they would do it again.
