LAPLACE — A Hammond man linked to numerous car burglaries that took place in July of 2014 pleaded guilty to five counts of simple burglary last week in St. John the Baptist Parish.

Akeem Banks, 26, reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, according to the Clerk of Court’s office, agreeing to serve five years for each count.

As a condition of his plea, Banks is to serve the time at hard labor with the Department of Corrections, and each sentence is to run concurrently with the other.

Banks was also given credit for 30 months of time previously served and ordered to pay $865 in court costs and fees.

The St. John Sheriff’s Office received several calls regarding the burglary of vehicles in Indigo Estates, Summerlin Lake Subdivision and Palmetto Lakes Subdivision in LaPlace on July 17, 2014.

Over the course of the investigation, detectives identified Akeem Banks as a suspect, releasing his name, description and last known address to the public in hopes of securing an arrest.

Police records show he was arrested locally in 2017.