The criminal history of a Seffner man factored into a five-year sentence for a theft at Coquina Beach.
Joshua Vega, 29, entered a plea June 8 to stealing a beachgoer’s keys and a cooler and 12th Circuit Judge Susan Maulucci sentenced him to two years of community control followed by three years of drug offender probation — concurrent with another sentence.
In July 2016, Bradenton Beach police stopped Vega as he drove a car on a beach pathway in the 2100 block of Gulf Drive and found a stolen cooler in the back seat.
As a result of the theft, Vega was found guilty of violating a probation for a 2010 burglary and sentenced to community control in Hillsborough County.
Assistant Attorney Bill Greiner said he recommended Vega’s sentence based on the value of key fob, the three months he spent in jail for the theft and his probation violation in Tampa.
The sentence subjects Vega to a five-year prison term if he violates the terms of his house arrest.
Community control or house arrest is often imposed after a defendant violates a court-ordered probation, Greiner said, adding it typically restricts a felon from “just going out,” but allows trips to work, school, church and for grocery shopping.
For the 2016 theft, the judge ordered $778 in court costs and fines, including an option for public service work in lieu of court costs at $10 per hour.
Vega’s supervision may be transferred to Hillsborough County under the order.