Home Invasion Charges Can Carry Significant Penalties

 Posted on March 06, 2025 in Theft and Property Crimes

A case dating back to 2022 recently ended with a man who posed as an Amazon worker while committing a home invasion being sentenced to ten years in prison. In January 2022, two men dressed as Amazon workers were captured on a home security camera as they appeared to make a delivery at a home on Naugatuck Avenue in Milford.

When the door opened, the two men forced their way into the home, struggling with the victim as they beat and pistol-whipped him, then bound him with duct tape while they ransacked the home, leaving with more than $50,000 in jewelry. In this case, the defendant pled guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, suspended after serving 10 years, followed by five years of probation.

Under Connecticut laws, home invasion is the most serious burglary offense and is charged as a Class A felony. While this is a serious crime with serious penalties, being charged with a criminal offense does not necessarily mean a conviction and sentence. When you have an aggressive legal advocate in your corner, the outcome can be very different, and one mistake does not have to destroy your life. A Stamford, CT criminal defense  attorney will protect your rights and future to the extent possible.  

What Is a Home Invasion?

A home invasion is a form of burglary that occurs when an individual enters another’s home with no permission and with the intent to commit a felony while inside the home. The prosecutor cannot convict a defendant of home invasion unless it can be shown that he or she entered an occupied home with intent to do harm.  

Home invasion charges also require that the defendant was armed with a potentially deadly weapon. For the purposes of charging the offense of home invasion, a "dwelling" is a building being lived in, even if the person who lives there is not inside the home at the time of the home invasion.  

Houses, apartments, condos, RVs, hotel rooms, and even houseboats are all considered dwellings for the purposes of home invasion. The actual charges (home invasion vs. first, second, or third-degree burglary) will be determined by the type of building, whether the building was occupied, whether the defendant had a weapon, and whether anyone was hurt.  

Home Invasion Penalties

Home invasion is a Class A felony punishable by 10 to 25 years in prison and a fine as large as $20,000. If a defendant has prior criminal convictions, he or she could be charged as a persistent offender. This can either result in a mandatory minimum sentence or increase the sentencing level.

Defenses to Home Invasion Charges

If the police illegally searched the defendant’s home or vehicle and found evidence of the home invasion, an attorney may be able to exclude that evidence, which would put the entire case in jeopardy. The defendant’s constitutional rights may have been violated, which could also reduce the charges or result in the charges being dropped.

The attorney may be able to argue that there was no intent to commit a crime - i.e., a person may have entered their ex-spouse’s home to retrieve their belongings. Depending on whether the home was occupied, the charges could also be reduced to a lower level of burglary. This could potentially mean the difference between probation and ten or more years in prison.    

Contact a Fairfield County, CT Criminal Defense Attorney

If you have been charged with home invasion or any other criminal offense, it is important to speak to a Stamford, CT criminal defense lawyer as quickly as possible. Your attorney can make a significant difference in the outcome of your charges. Contact Law Offices of Daniel P. Weiner at 203-348-5846 to schedule your free consultation.