Spokane man pleads guilty to Farmington burglary

A Spokane man admitted to burglarizing a property in Farmington last month.

Eric Harris, 55, pleaded guilty to felony second-degree burglary Friday morning in Whitman County Superior Court. Court Commissioner Doug Robinson said the crime is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and $20,000 in fines, but chose another form of discipline.

Robinson gave Harris a drug offender sentencing alternative for the crime. He will be released from jail to receive treatment later this month, and was ordered not to consume alcohol or marijuana.

Court documents show Harris, 62-year-old Gary French and 44-year-old Melissa Pagel were arrested Oct. 15 for reportedly trespassing on property located on Garfield-Farmington Road.

Whitman County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the residence after the three were allegedly seen on the premises via video surveillance, according to court documents.

The three supposedly got into a vehicle and drove to a secondary property owned by the same people on Heise Road. Court documents show law enforcement stopped the vehicle and apprehended the individuals.

The suspects told deputies they allegedly knew someone who used to live on the property. Court documents say Pagel reportedly admitted to possessing methamphetamine.

They were booked into the Whitman County Jail that evening.

Prosecutor Denis Tracy said Harris is the first of the three to admit to the crime, which shows maturity.

He said Harris has a criminal history dating back to the 1980s for nonviolent crimes involving drug convictions. The most recent was in 2014 for theft of a motor vehicle.

Robinson said he believes Harris can benefit from the sentencing alternative and become a contributing member of society again.

French and Pagel are scheduled to appear before a jury in January 2025.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com.