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TALLAHASSEE, FL – Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that a Broward County man was convicted by a Palm Beach County jury of burglary, grand theft, resisting arrest and aggravated assault charges. Alvara Valdez faces a 60-year prison sentence as a prison releasee reoffender and habitual felony offender when he is sentenced at a later date. He was prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution and the State Attorney’s Office for the 15th Judicial Circuit.

In November 2007, Valdez entered an unoccupied residence in West Palm Beach and was stopped by police while trying to leave with the victim’s jewelry box. Valdez, 57, struggled with police and attempted to break free by continually swinging a screwdriver at an officer. At the time of the arrest, Valdez was serving three years probation for previous criminal charges of racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, grand theft and burglary for his participation in a series of jewelry burglaries.

Aside from the criminal charges, Judge Karen Miller found Valdez to be in violation of his probation for leaving his county of residence without permission and getting arrested. In addition to the 60-year sentence, Valdez also faces life in prison as a habitual felony offender on the probation violation. He was tried in the 15th Judicial Circuit.