Michael C. Burham

Michael Burham has made his first appearance before the county Court of Common Pleas.

Burham, 34, clean-shaven and ushered into court by Warren County Sheriff’s Deputies, entered procedural not guilty pleas on Thursday to a total of 35 charges during formal arraignment proceedings Thursday morning at the Warren County Courthouse.

While Burham is very unlikely to receive the maximum possible sentence at each charge, the cumulative total of those charges is astounding – 261 years and nine months of incarceration and fines totaling $448,400, according to information presented in court Thursday.

A total of 33 charges stem from his alleged kidnapping of a Sheffield couple in May.

He had been on the run for over a week in the wake of a Jamestown police investigation into a homicide.

Burham allegedly staked out this couple’s residence before taking them – and their car – to Charleston, S.C. He was subsequently apprehended there and brought back to the Warren County Jail to face the kidnapping charges.

That’s when he escaped from the county jail for nearly 10 days, precipitating a manhunt that brought national attention to Warren County.

Since his apprehension, he has been housed at the Erie County Prison.

The list of charges from the kidnapping allegations is lengthy – six counts of kidnapping; two counts each of unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, terroristic threats, disorderly conduct and harassment; possession of an instrument of crime with intent; three counts of theft by unlawful taking, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property, burglary, criminal trespass – enter structure, criminal trespass – break into structure, criminal trespass and loitering and prowling at night time.

He also faces two charges – escape and conspiracy (escape) – in a case that is being prosecuted by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.

Online court records indicate that the next step in the case is a settlement conference, currently scheduled for Oct. 16.