A Warren man faces eight to 17.75 years in prison for a rash of campground thefts in Warren County that took place late in 2024.

Kyle A. Lauritson of Warren pleaded guilty in July to eight felony charges as well as several misdemeanor charges on six separate dockets. He was sentenced Friday by Judge Gregory Hammond in the Court of Common Pleas to recently in front of Judge Gregory Hammond. All told, Lauritson had faced 20 felony charges in Warren County.

On one docket, Lauritson pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree criminal trespass and one count of second-degree felony theft by unlawful taking. He was sentenced to 6 to 12 months to satisfy the criminal trespass plea and 23 to 46 months to satisfy the theft by unlawful taking plea. Lauritson pleaded guilty on a second docket to a charge of second-degree felony criminal trespassing and theft by unlawful taking. He was sentenced to 6 to 12 months to satisfy the criminal trespass plea and 2 to 4 months to satisfy the theft by unlawful taking plea.

The third docket resulted in a sentence of 9 months to 1 year, 11 months and 29 days to satisfy a second-degree felony burglary plea. On a fourth docket, Lauritson pleaded guilty to two third-degree felonies – theft by unlawful taking and criminal trespassing. Lauritson was sentenced to 4 to 8 months to satisfy the criminal trespassing plea and 2 to 4 months to satisfy the theft by unlawful taking plea.

Lauritson pleaded guilty on a fifth docket to a third-degree felony charge of criminal trespass and a misdemeanor charge of theft by unlawful taking. He was sentenced to 6 to 12 months to satisfy the criminal trespass plea and 1 to 2 months to satisfy the theft by unlawful taking plea. Lauritson pleaded guilty on a sixth docket to a second-degree felony charge of criminal trespass and a misdemeanor charge of theft by unlawful taking. He was sentenced 6 to 12 months to satisfy the felony charge and 1 to 2 months to satisfy the misdemeanor.

Lauritson was also sentenced recently in Crawford County to between 6 and 20 years in state prison to satisfy similar guilty pleas there.

Police say Lauritson and Wesley Crispin of Warren broke into several camps in mid-November 2024. Troopers from the State Police at Warren began investigating the burglaries Nov. 16 and discovered several camps on Punkey Hollow Road in Pittsfield had been broken into. Troopers discovered one burglary after clearing the scene of a prior burglary, according to the Affidavit of Probable Cause. The trooper saw a shed with its doors wide open and a broken pane of glass near the door knob. Muddy footprints were also seen in the camp. An additional shed behind the camp had also been entered. The owner of the camp reported a trail camera, 8mm ammunition and a dog blanket, a Yamaha Wolverine ATV valued at $1,800 had been stolen. Damage to the door of the camp was to cost $800 to repair.

In another burglary investigation, a camp had been entered into and items stolen and, while troopers were investigating, a neighboring camp owner reported his camp had also been burglarized. The first camp investigated Nov. 15 was missing two folding bleacher chairs, hunting climbing sticks, an antique shotgun, a .22 caliber rifle, ammunition and other miscellaneous items were missing.

Some of the items have been recovered, according to the Affidavit of Probable Cause. Others have already been sold, according to police.

Lauritson was allegedly seen Nov. 18, after the burglaries, walking with another person on the road by State Police at Warren while they were on patrol. Lauritson was detailed due to multiple arrest warrants from Erie County, according to the Affidavit of Probable Cause. He was allegedly found with a handgun in his rear jean pocket that police found had been stolen from a burglary in Corry. Lauritson allegedly had several items and tools, including handheld radios and a pry bar, in his backpack. A search of Lauritson’s home resulted in police finding Crispin as well as several stolen items and firearms from the camp burglaries in Warren County, including a .22 caliber rifle, antique shotgun, ammunition, folding bleacher chairs, canned mushrooms, poker cards and chips, hunting climbing sticks and binoculars.

“The defendant and co-defendant were interviewed at PSP Warren on Nov. 18, 2024, where they confessed to a series of burglaries on Punkey Hollow, Pittsfield Township, Warren, Pa. In the time frame in which they were reported, (Lauritson and Crispin) stated they intentionally broke into camps by means of pry-bar and removed items from the structure to be sold or traded for money and or drugs.”