Mason City man sentenced to up to five years for burglaries near Rockford

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A Mason City man has been sentenced to serve up to five years in prison after pleading guilty to a burglary charge involving breaking into a home near Rockford.

Ryan Matthew Allen, age 39, was originally  charged with three counts of burglary in the third degree, each a Class D felony, as well as criminal mischief in the second degree, also a Class D felony.

He pleaded guilty to one of the burglary charges in return for the other three charges being dismissed and the Floyd County Attorney’s Office recommending the sentence of up to five years in prison and paying restitution for all the burglary incidents, including those that were dismissed.

On Nov. 22, Associate District Judge Peter Newell sentenced Allen to an indeterminate term in prison not to exceed five years, ordered him to pay a fine of $1,025 plus 15% surcharge, and ordered him to pay restitution.

Damages to be reimbursed were listed as $3,900 in items taken from the home southwest of Rockford on June 9, June 12 and June 15. The most valuable items were a gun safe valued at $1,350, a television valued at $800 and a .22-caliber revolver valued at $650.

Allen’s sentence was ordered to be served concurrently with a sentence of up to five years in prison handed down in Cerro Gordo County District Court for stealing more than $1,500 from a Mason City liquor and grocery store in July 2021, and a sentence of up to 10 years for burglarizing the Dairy Queen in Mason City in August, threatening an employee with a knife, stealing her cellphone and preventing her from leaving.

In the Dairy Queen case, District Court Judge Gregg Rosenbladt ordered that 65% of the total sentence needed to be completed before Allen was eligible for parole.

According to documents filed in Floyd County District Court, Allen had been accused of forcing entry into the home near Rockford and taking items and damaging two safes on June 9, forcing entry again to the same residence on June 12 and taking more items, and breaking in for a third time to the same home on June 15 and taking items.

Court documents say that the caretaker for the property had installed trail cameras after the first break-in and had captured pictures of a man and a woman and two different vehicles. Through the investigation by the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office and with the aid of the Mason City Police Department the man was identified as Allen and the woman was identified as Sarah Sue Schilling, of Charles City, the documents say.

Schilling, now age 42, was also charged with three counts of burglary in the third degree, each a Class D felony, and one count of criminal mischief in the second degree, also a Class D felony.

Schilling pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree burglary in return for the other three charges being dropped, and was sentenced in September to up to five years in prison, suspended; $1,025 fine plus 15% surcharge, fully suspended; restitution; and three to five years probation with the Iowa Department of Correctional Services.