Burglar says TV taught him his craft

A man who says he learned how to rob homes by watching a TV show was sentenced to 12 years in prison for a string of burglaries in central Kentucky.

Michael W. Hobbs, 36, of Waco, Ky., pleaded guilty to five counts of burglary. He was sentenced on Thursday.

Police said Hobbs learned how to break into homes by watching the Discovery Channel TV show "It Takes a Thief." The show features two ex-convicts who show property owners how vulnerable they are to theft.



Police Maj. Steve Gregg said the ex-cons on the show say skilled burglars typically don't keep stolen items.

"He didn't hold onto any of the property," Gregg said of Hobbs. "He had no physical evidence at his residence whatsoever. When we entered a couple times, he said, 'Come on in, look around. I've done nothing.'"

But Gregg said Hobbs always showed up at the burglary sites. "He was one of the type of people who would come to the door and ask if (the homeowner) needed any gutter help," Gregg said. "Then the houses around there would get burglarized. That's just not coincidental."