Man Sentenced To LIFE For Looting During Rita

[southerngale]

What a pathetic excuse for a human being. I'm glad he got life in prison. I hope this makes national news and it will make others stop and think before they do something so stupid.

Man Sentenced To Life For Looting During Rita

Reported by Angel San Juan
April 25, 2006 - 4:58PM

A Beaumont man who looted his neighbors' homes during Hurricane Rita has been sentenced to life in prison.
45 year old Kenneth Koch pleaded guilty to burglarizing three houses, that had been left empty after the owners had evacuated.
The homes were located on Shelly drive, just off of Walden Road.
Authorities believe the burglaries took place between the Friday before the storm, and the Tuesday after it hit.
Jefferson county prosecutor John Nelson says Koch told police he had been watching television during Hurricane Katrina and started thinking of ways of making money off the disaster, and he says when Rita hit here, he decided he would start breaking into people's houses.
Koch could be eligible for parole in 20 years.

http://www.kfdm.com/engine.pl?station=k ... local.html

[Aquawind]

I hope this makes national news and it will make others stop and think before they do something so stupid.

This should be front page material..

[Audrey2Katrina]

I completely agree... this should be the fate of anyone who would attempt to profiteer off of another's tragedy...

A2K

[Javlin]

A Police officer I know told me a story about a guy who got shot while doing a bulgary during the day.The owner came home burglar inside and chased the burglar outside shot him in the backyard.Police come and ambulance the whole time the burglar is tring to plea his case "he shot me in the backyard"the police response was was "you should not of been in his house".Looters are trash.

[southerngale]

Well, it looks like it is making national news after all. The AP picked it up.

It is a prison sentence that's attracting national interest.
A Beaumont man who looted the homes of three neighbors during Hurricane Rita has received life behind bars for the crime, and the Associated Press has picked up the story.
It has also been picked up by a news service that supplies stories to television stations across the country.
Kenneth Koch told KFDM News he was getting food, water and other things he needed to survive right after Hurricane Rita.
But a Jefferson County prosecutor calls him a career criminal who committed a ruthless act.
He looted several homes on Shelley Drive, near Walden Road behind the Tinseltown movie complex.
Anna Crissman describes the toll Hurricane Rita took on her property. She had 13 trees down around her house.
But for Crissman, hurricane recovery pales in comparison to recovering her stolen items.
Anna Crissman:
"It was empty. I was very upset. I had a whole lifetime of rings and jewelry, and they're all gone."
In exchange for that lifetime of loot, 45 year old Kenneth Koch has received life in prison.
Koch pleaded guilty to breaking into Crissman's home and entering her bedroom to steal jewelry and credit cards. That was after Crissman and her husband had evacuated because of the storm.
Anna Crissman:
"I guess I was really angry that it happened, and it had to be a neighbor."
Angel San Juan/6 News Reporting:
"Koch lives right next door to the Crissmans in this house with his mother. She evacuated and he stayed behind. He told police he had watched Hurricane Katrina on TV and wondered about ways of profitting from the disaster. Then when Rita hit, he burglarized his neighbors' homes."
John Nelson/Asst. District Attorney:
"He took a lot. He took credit cards, rifles, travel vouchers. He took a victim's hard hat."
But while hurricane damage can be fixed, FEMA can't replace what Koch stole from the three homes he targetted. Crissman has recovered just a few items that were located at pawn shops.
Anna Crissman:
"My husband's Chevron diamond watch and this watch."
She found justice at the Jefferson County Courthouse, where Koch received his stiff prison sentence.
Anna Crissman:
"I don't think he deserved anything less because of all the families that he robbed."
John Nelson/Asst. District Attorney:
"It's hard for me to stop someone from taking life, and I didn't really know if he would take it, but when we talked about it, that was pretty much in my opinion the appropriate sentence."
Based on his crimes and his criminal record, Koch could have received multiple life sentences. But the punishment he accepted in a plea agreement at least allows him the opportunity of parole in 20 years, and it restores some sense of security to Crissman and her neighbors.
Jefferson County has about half a dozen Hurricane Rita looting cases set for trial, including the trial of a man accused of stealing from the Beaumont Wal-Mart. That trial begins Monday.

http://www.kfdm.com/engine.pl?station=k ... local.html

And this is from another article:
We asked Koch how the public should view what he did, given the fact hurricane season is only about one month away.
"I would tell people during this hurricane season to be careful about what they do when they get out there if another storm hits," said Koch. "They should look at what I did and realize I was wrong. People should prepare for a hurricane. Have the items stockpiled where they'll be ready for a hurricane."

http://www.kfdm.com/engine.pl?station=k ... local.html

[HurricaneHunter914]

I agree, he shouldn't of looted God didn't put us on the Earth to be cruel to one another. But I think his sentence is to harsh, even when people are cruel they shouldn't be locked in a cage forever. I mean how is this man supposed to make up for what he did if he lives in Jail. You can't take a persons life away.

[Audrey2Katrina]

I agree, he shouldn't of looted God didn't put us on the Earth to be cruel to one another. But I think his sentence is to harsh, even when people are cruel they shouldn't be locked in a cage forever. I mean how is this man supposed to make up for what he did if he lives in Jail. You can't take a persons life away.

He definitely shouldn't have looted. As far as "life" is concerned, he'll be out (if he's a good boy) in time enough to make him think long and hard about his despicable crime. And as far as taking a person's "life away", well, that's precisely what HE was doing carting off all the possessions of three other families' houses (families who'd already suffered enormous losses, I might add). I find it hard to sympathize with people capable of such dastardly conduct. I won't sit in judgment but I'd be willing to bet dollars to doughnuts he's a lot more sorry he got caught, than he is about his reprehensible deed!

Locally, in the bottom of a pool next to my former principal's house, (it had been completely looted) they found the body of a man--badly decomposed, and wrapped around him were some sheets with possessions he had looted. Apparently he was trudging through water he thought shallow with this sheet of stuff on his back and around his neck when he stepped into the pool that he was unable to realize was there. Obviously unable to extricate himself from this predicament, judgment had been pronounced and meted out without costing taxpayers a dime.

Sometimes God has his own way of dealing with this kind of scum.

A2K

[Camille_2_Katrina]

Life Sentence?

A person gets life for armed robery... not
looting! Seems a little harsh?

[Lindaloo]

And a person gets less time for rape, your point? I think he deserved what he got.

[Bluefrog]

I've chased off so many looters and called the police three times. There is nothing worse than seeing someone going thru and taking your stuff even if its smashed into a million pieces. It's wrong, it's disrespectful, it's theft and it's against the law.

[Camille_2_Katrina]

And a person gets less time for rape, your point? I think he deserved what he got.

my point is I don't think this person actually got a life
sentence for looting. I don't know where the story is being
quted from... but there has to be more to the story. If
not... all the guy has to do is appeal and he WILL get a
lsser sentence. Life sentence for looting? no way.

should he be thrown under the jail? Yes!
Life sentence? never happen.

[CajunMama]

Southerngale got it from one of the Beaumont television stations website. I searched their website and found some other articles applying to the story.

http://www.kfdm.com/engine.pl?station=k ... arch.shtml

http://www.kfdm.com/engine.pl?station=k ... arch.shtml

[Camille_2_Katrina]

Wow... that is tough!
Remind me never to loot around those parts! (kidding)
and as Lindaloo mentioned... we have convicted rapists
and pedifiles walking the streets...

[Lindaloo]

I've chased off so many looters and called the police three times. There is nothing worse than seeing someone going thru and taking your stuff even if its smashed into a million pieces. It's wrong, it's disrespectful, it's theft and it's against the law.

Yeah I know! Right after the storm, I was met with a double barrel shotgun until Dr. Hull's grandson saw who I was. It was terrible on the beach for a long time!

I also reported looters at the west end of the beach. They were loading their car with pictures and everything else. I blocked them in and called police. They arrested them. I know that stuff was from the last house on west beach.

[george_r_1961]

A life sentence? Sure why not. Looters are the scum of the earth. In many countries they would be shot on sight..no trial, now lawyers and no appeals.

[JonathanBelles]

wow

[george_r_1961]

I agree, he shouldn't of looted God didn't put us on the Earth to be cruel to one another. But I think his sentence is to harsh, even when people are cruel they shouldn't be locked in a cage forever. I mean how is this man supposed to make up for what he did if he lives in Jail. You can't take a persons life away.

Sure can. Its called justice.

[Jagno]

This hits home because my business was robbed twice and my new SUV stolen twice in the month following Rita. The sad part is no one was caught. We've never been a victim of theft like this in the 45 years I've lived here. I hope this is plastered for at least a week for all to see in the local, state and national media especially with the season upon us again.

[Aquawind]

I would think he has priors..thus habitual charges or longer terms and looking at the links above evidently so..

He says..

"I don't have that much of a criminal background, and no cases of burglary until these, and I can't believe I got that much for a burglary," said Koch.

"that much"..lol sounds like he has had some issues. The Prosecutor clearly thinks so..

But a Jefferson County prosecutor calls him a career criminal who committed a ruthless act.

Looser...

[Dionne]

Texas doesn't take kindly to criminals. They even have an express lane if there are three credible witnesses to a felony committed with a firearm. If Koch, in fact stole rifles during his looting spree......he gets to go to the front of the line.