ALBANY COUNTY — Dennis Grant, 44, of Knox was sentenced on Friday to 12 years to life in state prison for second-degree attempted burglary, a violent felony — the fifth in a string of burglary-related convictions. At his sentencing, Grant was classified as a mandatory persistent felon.

He had pleaded guilty to the most recent charge on Nov. 30 before the same judge who sentenced him in Albany County Court, William A. Carter.

The current charges stem from a July 9, 2018 break-in. At 11:30 a.m. that morning, Grant unlawfully entered a residence on Johnston Road in Guilderland and stole jewelry and cash, according to a release from the Albany County District Attorney’s Office; the homeowner and her children came home to find Grant inside the house before he fled.

Grant was spotted several days later in the neighborhood and was apprehended by police, the release said, noting that, at the time of his arrest, he was in possession of property that he had stolen from the home.

Grant had tried to break out of jail in 2009 after an earlier burglary arrest. Nine years ago, when Grant lived in Guilderland, he was was on parole following a string of burglaries when he was arrested again. He was being held in Albany County’s jail when he tried to escape.

On the night of Nov. 23, 2009, correction officers found Grant attempting to kick out a six-inch wide, three-layered security window, seven feet off the ground of his cell, which is required “to allow minimum daylight in an inmate’s cell,” said a release from the sheriff’s department at the time, also noting that Grant is 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds.

After the attempted escape, Grant was moved to a special housing unit.

Falvo’s Meat Market, on Route 85A, in New Scotland was one of the businesses that Grant attempted to burglarize in 2009, kicking in the shop’s door, which triggered an alarm.

At the time of Grant’s attempted escape, Joe Robilotto, who owned Falvo’s, said, “They better keep their doors locked, like I do. I was so glad they caught this guy. He just got out of jail; now he’s back in.”

In August 2006, The Enterprise reported that Grant, then a resident of Knox, had been charged with three counts of second-degree burglary, one count of third-degree grand larceny, and two counts of petit larceny, after he burglarized three separate homes, stealing cash, jewelry, prescription medication, and loose change.

At the time of the 2018 incident, Grant was under the supervision of the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision stemming from a previous felony burglary conviction.

Assistant District Attorney Michael Shanley of the Major Offenses Unit prosecuted this case.​

— Melissa Hale-Spencer