Convicted Burglar Gets Lengthy Prison Term For Series Of Hudson Valley Break-Ins: DA

POUGHKEEPSIE NY — A Pleasant Valley man was sentenced Wednesday to 16 years to life in prison for a string of residential and commercial burglaries, including one at a Vassar College residence.

Judge Karen Edelman-Reyes imposed the sentence on Shawn Grey, 50, of Pleasant Valley, in Dutchess County Court.

Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi said Grey’s conduct “threatened the security of our neighborhoods, violated the sanctity of residential property, and inflicted significant financial harm on local businesses.”

“No resident should have to fear for the security of their home, and no business owner should have to live with the constant threat of becoming a victim of crime,” Parisi said.

Grey was convicted earlier this year of unlawfully entering Vassar’s Orchard Lane Apartments, a residential complex for faculty and employees at 51 Watson Rd., on Sept. 20, 2024.

According to prosecutors, he gained entry to the building, forced open a locked storage unit inside, and stole property belonging to a resident. Poughkeepsie police apprehended him near the building. Evidence presented at trial included DNA from the damaged storage unit and eyewitness testimony.

Grey was also sentenced for commercial burglaries in Dutchess County between September 2024 and January 2025. According to prosecutors, he forced entry into gas stations and a laundromat, then targeted cash registers, safes, and other sources of money.

“The burglaries resulted in substantial financial loss to the business owners, many of whom faced disrupted operations, repair costs, and ongoing security concerns,” prosecutors said.

For those offenses, Grey previously entered a guilty plea to third-degree burglary, and he agreed to pay restitution to the businesses.

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