TOWN OF FENTON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – A Binghamton man is facing multiple felony theft charges after a string of reported home invasions in the Town of Fenton.

The Broome County Sheriff’s Office announced that 24-year-old Mitchell Paul Jr. was arrested on September 18. Deputies say Paul was found to be in possession of multiple items that were reported stolen after he allegedly burglarized two homes in the Town of Fenton.

Broome County Sheriff Deputies responded to a residence in Fenton after a homeowner reported seeing an unknown man in the upstairs office of his home at around 1:30 a.m. After finding the man, the homeowner began yelling for him to leave. The intruder then exited the home on foot and traveled toward the intersection of Chenango Street and Nowlan Road.

The homeowner later made a call to 911 after discovering that a laptop computer and several other electronics were missing from his residence. The homeowner also discovered a half-eaten Klondike bar that was left on the kitchen counter of his home as well as a downstairs window that was left ajar with the screen ripped out.

Sheriff’s Deputies gathered a description of the intruder from the homeowner and shared it with dispatch and other nearby responding units. Shortly after, deputies apprehended an individual matching the suspect’s description. The suspect, who was later identified as Paul, was carrying a drawstring bag. According to deputies, the contents of the bag included the missing laptop and the other items that the victim had reported stolen.

As a result of the investigation, Paul was arrested and charged with Burglary in the Second Degree; a Class C Felony, Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree; a Class E Felony, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fourth Degree; a Class E Felony, and Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree; a Class A Misdemeanor.

Later that morning, at approximately 8 a.m., deputies responded to a separate burglary complaint at a residence located near the earlier burglarized home on Chenango Street in Fenton. The victim told deputies that some of his belongings, which included a lottery ticket and gift cards, had gone missing from his vehicle overnight. Responding deputies contacted the investigators handling the burglary case from earlier that morning and confirmed that the missing lottery ticket and gift cards were also located amongst the stolen items found in Paul’s bag.

As a result of the new investigation, Paul received an additional charge of Burglary in the Third Degree, a Class D Felony, while in custody.

“Thank you to our community members in the Town of Fenton for working together with our dedicated members of the BCSO team to help bring this individual to justice. As our hardworking detectives conclude their investigations into these burglaries, it’s important that our residents stay vigilant, secure points of entry into their homes and cars, and always report suspicious activity to law enforcement,” said Sheriff Fred Akshar.

Paul is currently being held at the Broome County Correctional Facility.