Man sentenced in burglary of councilwoman's house
Edwin Diana was sentenced to 8 to 23 months in jail, with immediate parole.
A 24-YEAR-OLD MAN who last year burglarized an unoccupied house owned by City Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez was sentenced yesterday to eight to 23 months in county jail with immediate parole.
Edwin Diana had already served eight months in jail after his arrest last year before his family posted bail for him in November. With immediate parole, he does not need to return to jail.
Diana, who was a family friend of the councilwoman, committed the burglary because of an addiction he had to Percocet and Xanax pills, said his attorney, Gary Silver. He needed money to feed his drug habit.
Authorities have said Diana stole TVs, other electronics and jewelry from the unoccupied rowhouse on Hancock Street near Diamond in North Philly.
During the burglary, which happened about 5:20 a.m. March 28, 2014, a fire erupted in the house. Silver said yesterday that Diana had lit a candle in the house so he could see, because it was dark. The candle accidentally burned something in the house, which then caused the fire, Silver said.
At a nonjury trial in April, Common Pleas Judge Charles Ehrlich acquitted Diana of an arson charge, but convicted him of causing a catastrophe and other charges. Diana pleaded guilty to burglary and other charges.
Silver said the burglary was not politically motivated. At the time, Diana lived a couple of blocks away from the Hancock Street house. His roommate was related to state Sen. Tina Tartaglione. The councilwoman's husband, Tomas Sanchez, was challenging Tartaglione in the May 2014 Democratic primary at the time.
The councilwoman and her husband were not living in the house at the time. They had moved out the prior year.
Ehrlich yesterday also ordered Diana to serve five years' probation after his parole ends.