Spears's Thieves Get Light Sentences

By Stephen M. Silverman

04/12/2002 at 10:00 AM EDT

Four young men each received three years probation in a Florida courtroom Thursday after pleading no contest to the September burglary of the rented vacation home in the state's Panhandle belonging to then-couple Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, reports the Associated Press. Salvador Martinez, 19; Richard Olivarez, 20; Marcus Cook, 19; and Matthew Daily, 18, were sentenced as youthful offenders and were asked by Circuit Court Judge G. Robert Barron to sign a confidentiality agreement not to reveal what they lifted from the residence. On the other hand, their secret is not terribly well-kept. A police report listing the booty removed during the Sept. 22-23 theft included videotapes with "personal footage" and "several clothing items belonging to the celebrities," reported the Northwest Florida Daily. The apparel included a "Gilligan-style" blue-and-white hat, a scarf, a cell phone, nail polish and a $30 pair of shoes, according to the News. Prosecutor Ace Grinsted told the AP that the plea and sentence were negotiated by attorneys for Spears, 20, and Timberlake, 21, and accepted by the judge. The State Attorney's Office passed on granting a reduced sentence, Grinsted told the news service. Prosecutors reportedly requested 20-month sentences for each of the indicted burglars.