A 19-year-old Carey man pleaded not guilty Monday to burglary and drug charges in connection with a series of "home invasion" break-ins last month in Carey.
Jury trial was scheduled for Jan. 13 for Jordan James Surerus, a 2008 Carey School graduate and a former high school basketball player. Surerus was arraigned Monday in Blaine County 5th District Court on felony charges of attempted burglary and aiding and abetting burglary and on two misdemeanor charges of illegal possession of codeine. Surerus will face a maximum of 17 years in prison if convicted on all four counts.
The Blaine County Sheriff's Office arrested Surerus on Oct. 5. The arrest put an end to a weeklong series of burglaries in the town. Investigators believe Surerus may have been involved in nine burglaries, many of which took place at the homes of senior citizens and involved the theft of prescription drugs.
"Many of these homes were broken into while people were in their homes sleeping," Sheriff Walt Femling said the day after Surerus was arrested. "The entire city of Carey was afraid because of these home invasions that were going on. Many people were preparing to defend their homes and I was afraid someone was going to get shot."
Surerus remains incarcerated in Blaine County Jail on $100,000 bond. He was represented by public defender Cheri Hicks.