Man sentenced to 4 years for multiple Easton car break-ins

EASTON, Mass. (WLNE) — Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III said that a 48-year-old Brockton man was convicted of breaking into several vehicles before crashing his vehicle while carrying an illegal firearm.

James Widener was charged with  two counts of breaking and entering into a vehicle, two counts of larceny under $1,200, one count of carrying an illegal firearm, one count of receiving stolen property under $1,200, one count of use of a motor vehicle without authority, and one count of negligent operation of a motor vehicle.

In April 2022 Widener was accused of breaking into and stealing from multiple vehicles.

He then “drove in a negligent manner” when the owner of the final vehicle saw him breaking into a car. He then crashed his car at an intersection.

Quinn said that when police searched the Widener’s vehicle, they found the stolen items as well as a firearm.

Widener was sentenced to serve four years in prison and additional two years on supervised probation.

Quinn added this is Widener’s second gun conviction in Massachusetts.