‘Prolific burglar’ John Novotny gets ‘exceptional’ 8-year sentence

(Our hearing video starts with the victims speaking to the judge)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

We’re at the King County Courthouse again this Friday afternoon, a popular day/time for sentencings. This afternoon, King County Superior Court Judge – soon to become state Supreme Court Justice – Steven González has just sentenced 42-year-old John Novotny to 8 years – short of the 10 years the prosecution had asked for, but one year more than the upper end of the “standard sentencing” range.

We reported in October that Novotny, described by authorities as a “prolific burglar,” had pleaded guilty to 16 felonies, including burglary, forgery, identity theft, and “taking a motor vehicle.” Among the crimes with which he was charged in April were multiple break-ins victimizing elderly residents at the Arrowhead Gardens complex in southeast West Seattle. He had a unit at a nearby storage facility in which investigators say they found loot from other West Seattle burglaries.

In court for the sentencing: Five of Novotny’s victims, as well as the two lead detectives on the case, and several of Novotny’s family members and friends.

Prosecutors sought an exceptional sentence of 10 years, almost double the low end of the “standard sentencing range” for what he did. Prosecutor Mafe Rajul explained that his history merited it: He “went on a crime spree between January and March of this year, when he was arrested” and pleaded guilty in February – then committed the Arrowhead Gardens crimes after that. “An exceptional sentence is appropriate in this case, because if the court (does not), at least 12 of the crimes he has committed will go unpunished.” The defense had sought a drug-treatment sentence (DOSA) but prosecutors said he shouldn’t be eliglble for that because instead of committing a crime to feed his drug use, he committed crimes “as if it was (his) job” and “liked to use drugs.” When he ran out of space in his storage unit, so stuffed it was with stolen property, Rajul said, he asked his parents to pay for something bigger: “All of the defendants’ actions were calculated.” He even cleaned out entire houses, and was arrested wearing one of his victims’ clothing and watch.

We have the hearing on video from the victims’ testimony through the judge’s decision (added, it’s now atop the story). Here are the details:

The first victim who testified – a retired police officer – said that Novotny’s actions forced him to undergo surgery. “He walks among us, he acts as though we are nothing to him,” he said, of the type of criminal he perceives Novotny to be, one with a “cavalier” attitude: “He did this because he chose to – it was his job, it was his career.”

The second was a woman who said she was one of the first victims at the senior complex, and described how unsettling it was to realize the people were being victimized “by someone who could move in and out of the building at will.”

The third to speak was Arrowhead Gardens’ assistant manager. She described the age and vulnerability of residents at their “affordable-housing” complex. “This situation was devastating to our residents, traumatic” – and that went for even the residents who weren’t directly victimized, she said.

Fourth to speak, a woman whose storage locker was targeted, and lost irreplaceable Japanese vases: “That is my joy to arrange flowers, but I am unable to do it, I cannot afford to buy new vases.”

A fifth victim made a statement through the prosecutor – an artist who also lost irreplaceable items, including tools of her trade, gifts from her family, items purchased abroad. Then she read a statement from a sixth victim who lives out of state and wrote about what it was like to have discovered his townhouse ransacked and his car stolen: “I was shaking so badly … trying to describe to the policeman what had been taken,” and then he realized, so much was gone, he couldn’t even describe it all. He too lost sentimental “items that money will not replace.” His car was finally recovered – with damage and vandalism that took five weeks to repair. He decided to move out of state.

Lead detective Shayne St. John: then spoke “This has been by far the most extensive pattern case that I have been involved with and investigated. … Everybody thinks of burglary, auto theft (etc.) as a property crime. It is much more than that because of the impact it has on the victims. … ” Even for police, search warrants and cataloging the extensive amount of loot took many long days, which took them away from investigating other cases, he said. Besides Arrowhead Gardens, he reminded the judge, there were other West Seattle victims, and even victims as far as downtown and Tiger Mountain whose belongings were found in Novotny’s storage unit. One victim whose property they recovered has died since the burglary, Det. St. John said. He spoke about the questions asked by Arrowhead Gardens victims – why is this happening? how are the items being disposed of? (They discovered some of it was fenced by being sold at garage sales.) “I think this crime spree in and of itself definitely meets the standards to have the maximum sentence allowed by law,” he concluded.

Novotny’s lawyer argued for the drug-treatment sentencing, saying the burglaries were not violent crimes, and saying that without treatment, the crimes would recur. He showed accountability, Novotny’s lawyer said, by pleading guilty to all the charges against him. The lawyer said his client hit rock bottom after his business failed and marriage went on the rocks. Then – unusually – the lawyer became emotional and said he knew Novotny better than almost anyone else, as they grew up together in Bellingham.

Novotny himself then spoke, apologizing, saying he “devastated these people’s lives” out of “selfishness” and “struggl(ing) with addiction … (but) it’s not who I am. … I need help. I am a drug addict.”

Judge González asked what the longest sentence Novotny ever served had been. 30 days, was the reply from his lawyer. He also asked whether Novotny had been treated for a prior drug conviction that his lawyer described as “two pills of Vicodin.” Answer: An 8-hour program. The same line of discussion also revealed that Novotny got a “first-time offender waiver” when sentenced for the burglary “spree” earlier in the year.

“These were calculated crimes,” said the judge, in imposing the 96-month sentence, still exceptional but not the 120 months the prosecution wanted. He said, “There is a very short period in which most of these violations occurred,” in explaining why he didn’t go all the way to 10 years.

22 Replies to "'Prolific burglar' John Novotny gets 'exceptional' 8-year sentence"

  • Alki Resident December 9, 2011 (3:35 pm)

    He’ll be back at it when he gets out of prison in 8 years,if he really serves that long.Seems crime is all he knows,kind of old to be so stupid.

    • WSB December 9, 2011 (3:44 pm)

      A couple years off for “good behavior” … after the sentencing, while I was continuing to tweak the story from a bench outside the courtroom, his supporters were busy trying to calculate that. Exactly one week ago, I was here in the courthouse for another sentencing … in which the man who broke more than two dozen bones in a woman’s body by sitting on her, trying to strangle her, etc., received a sentence less than half that. Prosecutors and judges have to work with what is in the state codes, but it was rather striking to observe that on subsequent Fridays. (Waiting for word of yet another sentencing today – it was concurrent with this one and I couldn’t attend both.) – TR

  • DBP December 9, 2011 (4:31 pm)

    A couple years off for “good behavior” … after the sentencing, while I was continuing to tweak the story from a bench outside the courtroom, his supporters were busy trying to calculate that.

    .
    WTF! This bum has “supporters”?
    .
    We’re doomed.

    • WSB December 9, 2011 (4:48 pm)

      Supporters = family, friends, people he has known, including the lawyer who almost broke down in tears while vouching for his character.

  • westseattledood December 9, 2011 (4:36 pm)

    This particular moron is particularly irritating to me; anybody who messes with elders on fixed incomes is one cold piece of work.

    I hope he is profoundly miserable with unrelenting regret every minute of his sentence.

    But more than that, I hope all of his victims found some measure of relief in the judgement.

  • Jim P. December 9, 2011 (5:09 pm)

    How nice to know criminals can qualify for “bulk rate” sentencing simply because the crimes were committed in a short span of time.

    I am not sure this judge is qualified to sit on the high court of our state with an attitude like that.

    If the sentence is, for example, one to five for a burglary, then he needs to do a minimum of sixteen years on up to 80 years. Consecutively, none of this concurrent nonsense. Sixteen felonies, sixteen sentences.

    These people’s lives will never be the same, why should his be so easy comparatively? With time off etc, I will wager he does less than three years total.

    His lawyer is apparently hoping there is an Oscar for ham acting in the court with that sob story. The tears were a nice gesture.

    Needful as a defense lawyer is, one must never forget they are essentially paid liars, there to make anyone look like “Mother” Teresa’s ethics counselor, regardless of their actual crimes.

    One may only hope that the next time, and we all know there probably will be one, he hits an armed household and finds out that we’ve had enough of him and his ilk.

  • onceachef December 9, 2011 (5:13 pm)

    Or lack thereof (of character).

  • Alki Resident December 9, 2011 (5:17 pm)

    Supporters=his offspring from his cousin.
    Any attorney crying over a matter like this needs to be an actor.

  • really? December 9, 2011 (6:14 pm)

    if only he had beaten them within an inch of their lives he could have gotten 3 years…
    the system is so very, very broken.

  • CandrewB December 9, 2011 (6:21 pm)

    Not defending the system but we don’t have the money for the throw-away-the-key crowd. We just don’t. Maybe he will find redemption. I know, impossible for sociopaths, but maybe he is one of the 95% who can be redeemed. At the very least, he’ll be older and slower when he gets out.

  • Shane December 9, 2011 (8:32 pm)

    I’ve been burglarized twice and personally assaulted once, had a car stolen and destroyed, and then things stolen out of a car after they smashed the window. I bought something last night and had to think about covering it up so that it would not be a temptation to a thief. Frankly, you never get over the feelings of violation and loss, and especially the sense of trust that is also gone. It makes me sick thinking that these sociopaths are still doing their dirty work and they get away with crocodile tears. Hope they all rot from the inside out!

  • Eric December 9, 2011 (9:55 pm)

    I am glad to see the 8 years. This kind of sentence should be given out more regularly. I think this judge is great considering what the other judges have given out or seem to give out. At least he exceeded the guidelines.
    .
    Hopefully he will be reformed. If not, at least there will be a temporary reduction in the crime rate which is just about the best you can hope for.

  • old timer December 9, 2011 (11:16 pm)

    What a waste.

  • jack December 10, 2011 (5:56 am)

    King County is lenient in punishing criminal offenders. The defendant would be serving a much longer sentence in other jurisdictions. Career offenders are taken off the streets elsewhere for as long as possible to protect the public. The residents of King County accept the risk of the convict’s re-offending in hope that he doesn’t.

    There is no right answer.

  • outoftown December 10, 2011 (6:45 am)

    I am one of the victims in this case and I am very happy to see this piece of trash sentenced to the “upper range” time allowed. My life was turned upside down when Mr Novotny ransacked my home and stole my car. His time in prison will not bring all of my valuables back, but it will keep him off the streets and unable to steal from other homes.

  • Recent victim December 10, 2011 (8:53 am)

    This is the one time I would support the imposition of Sharia law….cut off his right hand. These sleaze balls would think twice about their actions. As long as they are coddled by the system including reduced sentences for “good behavior”, we will never get rid of these societal parasites. Now that this POS is behind bars maybe the police will go after the the POS who broke into our house and cleaned us out. After 6 months we received a notice from the DA that they were getting ready to go after the perp. What does it take to get justice???

    • WSB December 10, 2011 (9:05 am)

      Recent – if you send us the name we can watch the case (suspect’s name) … After these recent sentencings I am running low on cases to track because in so many cases, we don’t get reports with names. – TR

  • steve December 10, 2011 (5:54 pm)

    This is not a victimless crime and it’s not just property. After being burglarized in 2007, each day I come home and open my house wondering if I’ll find it ransacked again and thankful that it has not. Yet – there is always that fear that it will be. I’m also much more careful and forgiving about what is really important.

    Preying on the elderly, who’s sense of security and trust is already challenged, is particularly heinous.

    I’m thankful this individual will be removed from society.

  • Anonymous December 10, 2011 (10:35 pm)

    Unfortunately….this is was not his first spree. Many of us who were friends with him for over 20 years were also his victims. John grew up in an affluent family where his step father is a very successful dentist in Bellingham that goes by the name of
    Dr. Dennis Doering. He comes from a wonderful family whom protected him, enabled him and allowed all of this to happen.

    I was John’s best friend while we were business associates. He did go through unfortunate times that was precipitated by a divorce a business failure and more adversity that most of us feel pain over but woiuld never resort to this level of excuse.

    John has 10 years of victims. Most of us who never really reported anything to the police.

    I met John when he was 21 years old and mentored him in business only to be targeted by him for theft of propety and money.

    Altough I am saddened by his disposition. I feel relieved that our lives are better without such an evil person that has no remorse for his actions.

    This man will come out of prison feeling that society owes him and he will commit these crimes again.

    John Novotny is a Pschycopath.

    Former Friend.

  • Mom December 11, 2011 (5:44 am)

    The pain he inflicted on my son will never be possible to describe. He deserves 8 years per person. This piece of trash will do it again. I am glad he is off the street.

  • Robert T. Nelson December 12, 2011 (12:35 pm)

    John was a charming and talented young man – musician, chef and businessman – who lost his way as he got older. Despite what he’s done, he’s not a piece of trash and his family did not enable him; unless one believes that unconditional parental love and support leads kids down the path to a life of crime. It’s OK to condemn what John did, but come on folks; show a little compassion for all concerned. – Robert T. Nelson

  • AE December 12, 2011 (2:23 pm)

    I have lots of compassion for his victims. It’s a terrible thing to have what you’ve worked for taken, along with your sense of well-being and peace of mind.
    .
    I would like compensation for my stolen property, my time, my stress, and my loss of sense of security from my FOUR robberies/car thefts.

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