Raven Elise Ware, 24, Minot, was sentenced on Wednesday to two years in prison, all suspended except for the 148 days she has already served in the Ward County Jail, plus three years of supervised probation and 500 hours of community service for multiple drug dealing, burglary and theft felony offenses.

“This is pretty much a gift,” remarked Judge Richard Hagar about the plea deal offered by the Ward County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Ware pleaded guilty to intent to deliver heroin and intent to deliver methamphetamine, both Class B felonies, and to tampering with evidence, a Class C felony, all related to an incident on July 8 of this year. She also pleaded guilty to Class A felony conspiracy to commit theft of property exceeding $50,000; Class B felony burglary of a residence committed at night; Class B felony possession of stolen property valued at between $10,000 and $50,000; and Class C felony possession of a stolen credit card. All of the charges are related to a burglary spree involving area businesses and residences in the summer of 2018. The state agreed to dismiss multiple other felony charges under the plea deal, but Ware agreed to pay restitution in all of the dismissed cases along with the ones she pleaded guilty to. The restitution owed will be paid jointly along with co-defendants Andrew Schell and Jordan Bahnsen.

Ware has been admitted to Drug Court and will be subject to the conditions under that program. Ward County State’s Attorney Roza Larson also told the judge that Ware has been admitted to an in-patient treatment facility.

Ware will be required to complete the 500 hours of community service over the next six months.

The judge questioned whether Ware will be able to complete that requirement in such a limited amount of time.

Larson said she had estimated the time required to complete the community service at about 20 hours a week.

“She’s a lot younger than I am, Your Honor,” said Larson. “I put in a 70-hour week. I think she is capable of doing the same.”

Larson said the relatively lenient sentence was based on the sentences given to the co-defendants and the amount of time it took to get the charges in the case ready to file. In addition, Larson noted that the state Legislature seems to have directed prosecutors to pay more attention to treating addicts than punishing the crimes that addicts have committed, even though Ware committed an extensive number of offenses.

Ware has been held in jail since July. She was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by Berthold Police Chief Al Schmidt for having tinted windows. A search of the vehicle turned up the methamphetamine and heroin. Ware also was caught trying to throw out a plastic bindle of heroin.

Ware had previously pleaded guilty earlier this year to burglarizing Paradise Spas on July 10, 2018, in Minot. She served 60 days in jail for that offense and was placed on probation. The additional charges related to the burglary spree last year were not filed against her until after she had finished serving the sentence in the Paradise Spas burglary.

On Wednesday, Hagar accepted the plea deal for Ware on the latest charges. He also ordered her to stay away from the businesses and individuals that she had victimized.