DARLINGTON — An Iowa man charged as an accomplice with another man for stealing from a Town of Benton farm and burglarizing a Darlington car wash has received a similar sentence as his codefendant. 

Lee William Shaffer, 32, Dubuque, pleaded no contest and was sentenced Dec. 19 to one year in prison and two years on extended supervision for the Class F felony burglary and Class H felony theft convictions. Two misdemeanor counts of theft were dismissed but “read in,” meaning the judge could consider them at sentencing. A third misdemeanor count of theft was dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Shaffer is ordered not to be discharged from supervision until he completes alcohol and other drug abuse treatment.

His codefendant, Jay Joseph Mess, 28, Dubuque, was also sentenced to one year in prison and two years on expended supervision. Mess must also complete AODA treatment as a condition of his sentence.

Their convictions stem from separate crimes within the past two years, according to court documents.

The first crime was a break-in at the office of Xtreme Clean car wash in Darlington on Dec. 6, 2016. The security system was stolen and a bolt cutter used to cut off the bolt to the cash hopper.

The second case stems from vehicle break-ins at a farm on Wisconsin 11 in the Town of Benton on Feb. 9, 2017. Among the stolen items were a .22 caliber rifle, Stihl leaf blower and a receiver hitch and ball mount. The total value of the items stolen was $480.76.

Security camera footage shows Mess and Shaffer smoking crystal meth before committing the crimes, according to deputy reports filed with the criminal complaint.