Executive Summary
- Louis Thomas Menatac, 61, sentenced to 10 years for burglarizing Loudoun County non-profits.
- Defendant traveled from New York specifically to target charitable donation centers for cash.
- Investigators recovered a notebook listing target addresses, with burglarized locations checked off.
- Judge exceeded sentencing guidelines citing Menatac’s 40-year criminal history and predatory intent.
LEESBURG, Va. – A New York man with a criminal history spanning four decades has been sentenced to 10 years in the Virginia Department of Corrections for a series of targeted burglaries against charitable organizations in Loudoun County. Louis Thomas Menatac, 61, received the sentence from the Loudoun County Circuit Court after being convicted of Breaking and Entering, Possession of Burglarious Tools, and Wearing a Mask in Public to Conceal Identity.
According to court documents and statements from the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, Menatac traveled from New York to Northern Virginia in the late summer of 2024 with the specific intent of targeting non-profit donation centers. Prosecutors stated that Menatac selected these organizations believing they would handle cash transactions frequently due to the low-dollar value of their inventory. In addition to the prison term, Judge Matthew P. Snow ordered Menatac to pay over $23,000 in restitution to the victims.
Evidence presented during the proceedings detailed a sophisticated operation. In one incident at a Sterling location, Menatac arrived after business hours equipped with a stocking mask and gloves to conceal his identity. He disabled alarm boxes on the exterior doors and deactivated a security camera inside the main office before using specialized tools to cut into the store’s safe. In that single burglary, Menatac stole over $9,000 in cash.
Law enforcement officials recovered critical evidence linking Menatac to the crimes, including a notebook found in his possession. The notebook contained a list of addresses for non-profit donation centers, with checkmarks placed next to the two burglarized locations in Loudoun County. Commonwealth’s Attorney Bob Anderson condemned the calculated nature of the crimes, describing the targeting of 501(c)(3) organizations that provide employment services for people with disabilities as “despicable.”
During the sentencing hearing, Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Eden Holmes emphasized Menatac’s extensive criminal record, which involves convictions across nine states and fifteen jurisdictions starting in 1982. Holmes noted that Menatac had no ties to the community and argued for a sentence significantly above the guidelines due to the predatory nature of his actions. Judge Snow agreed, imposing a sentence more than double the recommended guidelines, citing Menatac’s forty-year history with the criminal justice system and his deliberate targeting of organizations designed to help the disadvantaged.
Judicial Precedent & Sentencing Impact
The court’s decision to significantly deviate upward from sentencing guidelines signals a rigid judicial stance against itinerant criminals who target community-based institutions. By doubling the recommended sentence, the court has established that the vulnerability of the victim—in this case, charitable organizations—acts as a substantial aggravating factor. This case underscores the judiciary’s willingness to prioritize community protection over standard matrices when a defendant demonstrates a lifelong pattern of recidivism and predatory planning across state lines.
It is important to note that while Menatac has been convicted in this case, officials stated that similar charges are pending against him in a neighboring jurisdiction, where he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
