A Greenup, Ky., man who was set to stand trial beginning today pleaded guilty Wednesday in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court.

John Clark, 31, of 126 Teddy Lane, admitted to five counts of second-degree burglary.

Judge Charles Cooper sentenced the man to 20 years in prison at the recommendation of Lawrence County Prosecuting Attorney Brigham Anderson.

“I believe getting your home broken into is one of the worst crimes that can happen,” Anderson said. “… When people are caught, I’ll be seeking substantial prison sentences for the offenders.”

Clark, as well as co-defendant Tawanna Talbert, 39, of 900 Heaberlin Road, Wurtland, Ky., were arrested this past July after warrants were issued for his arrest.

The pair broke into several homes in Ironton and Lawrence County.

Talbert pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary and three second-degree counts of complicity to burglary in January.

She will be sentenced March 5.

In an unrelated case, Joshua Romans, 30, of 832 County Road 15, South Point, was sentenced in Judge D. Scott Bowling’s courtroom to four years in prison for a second-degree count of aggravated vehicular assault. He was also ordered to pay $56,398 in restitution to the victim in the case.

Romans previously pleaded guilty to the charge, which stemmed from an Aug. 22, 2013, car accident.

Romans was driving with a blood alcohol content of more than twice the legal limit when he crashed, severely injuring his passenger, Anderson said.

“We believe this to be a serious crime,” Anderson said. “He put the lives of all citizens in Lawrence County in danger.”

The victim in the case, a friend of Romans, spoke before sentencing and asked the judge for leniency for his friend.