NORTH ADAMS — A city man has been sentenced to nine months in jail for breaking into a Hall Street home while being monitored on surveillance video that was later shared with police.
Christopher Jelley, 30, is one of three North Adams residents who allegedly broke into the basement of the home about 10 p.m. Tuesday.
Nicholas Decarolis, 32, also was charged with breaking and entering, while a warrant was issued for Michael Jackson Jr.
The homeowner alerted police after he saw the men break in on his security camera, according to the criminal complaint filed by North Adams Police Officer Matthew Meranti. He kept a dispatcher updated on the men's movement as he watched them exit the rear of the basement and head toward the west side of the building, where they were arrested.
Jelley allegedly told officers that he had entered the basement only to get warm.
The video footage appears to show Decarolis standing guard at the basement door as Jelley and Jackson smoke what appears to be crack cocaine, according to police.
No drugs were recovered during the arrests.
Jelley and Decarolis told officers they had been waiting for a friend to bring them marijuana.
Jackson, whom North Adams police officers recognized from previous interactions, then appears to relieve Decarolis of guard duty, but he was gone by the time police arrived, according to the report.
Jelley was found to be in possession of a prescription pill bottle that did not belong to him.
He was arraigned in Northern Berkshire District Court on Wednesday on single counts of breaking and entering in the nighttime for a felony and possession of a class E drug and held on $500 cash bail.
He opted to plead guilty and was sentenced to nine months in Berkshire County Jail of House of Correction and a residential substance abuse treatment program.
Jelley also pleaded guilty to an open charge of class B drug possession, subsequent offense, stemming from his arrest in possession of a crack pipe in December.
Decarolis pleaded not guilty to a single count of breaking and entering in the nighttime for a felony and was released on personal recognizance. He is next scheduled to appear March 6 for a pretrial hearing.
Adam Shanks can be reached at ashanks@berkshireeagle.com, at @EagleAdamShanks on Twitter, or 413-629-4517.