Madison man jailed for 10-year over serial burglaries and car thefts

A Madison man convicted of taking part in burglaries and vehicle thefts around Dane County, Wisconsin, last year has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on Friday.

Cleaster Moon, 26, informed Dane County Circuit Judge John Hyland that he is not the car theft “kingpin” that police had claimed him to be after his arrest in 2019. He called such a characterization an “overstatement”.

Moon said he’s a young adult who grew up without guidance, saddled by a learning disorder, ADHD, and drug addiction, and later became “infatuated with finer things in life, such as cars, money, attention, and clothes, which led me to becoming a klepto at a young age”.

But Hyland, who has also sentenced Moon to five years of extended supervision, said Moon is no longer the young person he once was, having carried out most of his latest crimes when he was 24 years old. He said he didn’t believe Moon wanted to harm anyone when he and others went into houses while their occupants were present, however, victims still deal with the frightening specter of someone being in their home, their safe sanctuary.

In September, Moon pleaded guilty to 13 felonies in Dane County which included nine counts of burglary, two counts of taking and driving a vehicle without consent, and two counts of driving a vehicle without consent. Another 17 felonies and 11 misdemeanors were rejected as part of a plea agreement.