Medina man could get state prison for burglary, defacing guns

ALBION A Medina man pleaded guilty to breaking into a house on Mill Road in Ridgeway on June 13, and taking guns and defacing them.

Christopher Hollenbeck, 27, could be sentenced to 2 to 7 years in state prison for the crimes. Orleans County Court James Punch could decide a lesser sentence of jail and probation. Hollenbeck will be sentenced March 31.

He has no prior record. Punch reduced the bail from $100,000 to $10,000 at Hollenbeck’s attorney’s request. Shirley Gorman, Hollenbeck’s lawyer, said Hollenbeck helped police locate the guns and has been cooperative.

Hollenbeck told the judge he used a credit card to break into the Mill Road home. His girlfriend Rebecca Bischoff, 26, of Medina drove him to the site and allegedly helped him sell the defaced guns. Her case is going through the court system. She faces four counts of criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree and two counts of criminal sale of a firearm in the second degree.

Hollenbeck pleaded guilty today to second-degree attempted burglary and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

He faced 24 counts, including burglary, grand larceny, defacing weapons, criminal possession of stolen property and criminal sale of a firearm.

He is accused of taking nine guns, including several hand guns. He admitted in court today he took a .45 Glock pistol and scratched off the serial numbers so he could hide the theft.