A Los Angeles man was sentenced Wednesday to 31 years and eight months in state prison for a series of burglaries including ones that targeted the homes of singers Usher and Adam Lambert.
Benjamin Eitan Ackerman, 37, pleaded no contest this summer to 11 counts of residential burglary, 28 counts of money laundering and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and admitted a white-collar crime enhancement.
Those charges stemmed from burglaries at the home of Lambert on Dec. 1, 2017, and again at Lambert’s home a day later, a burglary at Usher’s home on March 20, 2018 and a June 28, 2018, burglary at the home of reality TV personalities Paul and Dorit Kemsley.
Ackerman was ordered to be taken into custody after being convicted Sept. 13 by a jury of three additional burglaries, including one at former NFL player Shaun Phillips’ home, according to Deputy District Attorney Phil Stirling.
In his opening statement, Deputy District Attorney Jeff Stodel told jurors that the defendant was “heartless,” derived “joy from stealing from people” and sent text messages “bragging about his conquests.”
The prosecutor said Ackerman was “not the typical burglar,” telling jurors that the defendant posed as a real estate agent, signed in under an alias at brokers’ open houses, would sometimes steal expensive items while he was in the homes and would sometimes return later.
Stodel told jurors that Usher and Lambert were among the other victims, saying that the jury would hear evidence about the burglaries to which Ackerman had already pleaded no contest because it “shows a common scheme or plan.”
The items stolen from Lambert included a framed photo of former Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury given to him by members of the band which included a personal inscription to “Adam” that was “whited out” and read “Ben” when it was subsequently found at Ackerman’s apartment, according to the prosecutor.
Ackerman’s attorney, Gary Jay Kaufman, told jurors in his opening statement that his client came into the courtroom before the trial and had “taken responsibility” for the crimes he had committed.
“Mr. Ackerman pled guilty to what he did and he’s fighting what he didn’t,” the defense lawyer said. “He’s here to dispute the ones he didn’t do.”
He urged jurors not to be swayed by musicians or fancy houses, saying that he believed the prosecution would not be able to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Jason Emil Yaselli, who was charged along with Ackerman in 2019, pleaded guilty at an earlier court date to one count of residential burglary and two counts of money laundering and admitted a white-collar crime enhancement. Yaselli is awaiting sentencing Nov. 15.
Stodel told jurors that Yaselli had “made some very bad decisions” by helping a “serial burglar” to launder his profits and putting Ackerman on his credit card as an authorized user, but “did not actually commit any of the burglaries.”