PORTLAND, Ore. – A career criminal from Portland received his 43rd burglary conviction on Friday. His habitual lifestyle has lasted nearly 50 years, according to reports. Overall he has received 53 felony convictions.
Melvin Lee Tillman, 64, was sentenced 6 ½ years in prison for his conviction of burglarizing 10 local businesses last year, reported the Oregonian.
Prosecutors said Tillman might hold the record for being one of Portland’s most prolific property offenders. His latest conviction included the burglary of 10 businesses. Imagine how many burglaries were involved in his prior convictions, not to mention the number of crimes that have gone undetected.
“I’ve been a prosecutor here for 12 years and I’ve never seen a defendant with a criminal history as extensive in the property offender realm as Mr. Tillman’s,” Deputy District Attorney Christopher Shull said.
Throughout his career, Tillman has targeted small, independently owned businesses, investigators said. Career criminals frequently have a substance abuse problem. This crook was no exception. Tillman kept burglarizing to fuel a lifelong cocaine addiction, according to court documents.
Tillman has been sent to prison at least 15 times, according to the Oregon Department of Corrections. A department spokeswoman said he has 53 felony convictions – including 43 second-degree burglary convictions.
Tillman faced up to 25 years under Oregon’s property crime laws, but his sentence was reduced on account of his age and poor health, the Oregonian reported.
