With past due rent and bills mounting, Darneil Kinney knew he had to do something.

But the solution he picked landed the 21-year-old Plymouth man in prison for the next two years, after he pleaded guilty to a burglary charge for his role in multiple thefts at an area campground last winter.


Kinney entered a guilty plea to one count of burglary, a Class B felony, in Marshall Superior Court this week. In exchange for his plea, a Class B felony count of conspiracy to commit burglary and a Class D felony count of theft filed against him were dropped.

According to court records, Kinney and his wife were struggling under a heavy debt load in January 2005 when they decided to break into recreational vehicles parked at the Jellystone Campground at 7719 Redwood Road off U.S. 30 west of Plymouth to find items to sell to raise cash. The couple were living in an apartment next to the campground at the time.

Police believe that as many as 50 vehicles were broken into at the campground during a three-month period in November and December 2004, and January 2005. However, Kinney said he had only broken into several of them. Among the items stolen were televisions, DVD players, VCRs, furniture, sheets and pillows.

After admitting to the thefts, Kinney was arrested in February 2005.

Kinney was sentenced to serve eight years in prison, but six of those years will be suspended if he remains out of trouble. He also was ordered to pay an undisclosed amount of restitution to the owners of the vehicles.