Prolific thief convicted in third trial

It took three tries, but a jury has convicted prolific thief Gary D. McCabe of burglary for the 17th time. A jury on late Friday found McCabe, 45, guilty of residential burglary and possession of a controlled substance. They acquitted him on one misdemeanor count of possession of stolen property. McCabe was convicted of stealing more than $25,000 worth of rare gold and silver coins from a man who began his collection in 1960. McCabe, who recently was sentenced to seven years in prison for an earlier burglary, faces a similar sentence when he is sentenced on March 8 before Superior Court Judge Jerome Leveque. Two previous trials ended in mistrial, including one time when a juror deduced — correctly — during the trial that McCabe was the burglar who broke into her home last August.