A suspect with more than 300 criminal charges in 40 years has been sentenced to state prison after pleading guilty to a crime spree across the South Coast, including break-ins in Rochester.

William Luz Jr., 55, of Plymouth was sentenced to 5 years in Walpole State prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty to his role in a father and son crime spree in 2008, according to a Rochester Police press release. Luz and his son William Luz III were indicted on numerous charges of breaking and entering and larceny of property stemming from house breaks stretching from Rochester to Duxbury.

"This is clearly a great example of local police working together, sharing knowledge and information which resulted in a career criminal being taken off the streets," said Rochester Police Chief Paul Magee in the release. "Many officers from numerous agencies put a great deal of time and effort into this case. I couldn't be more pleased with the outcome."

The Luz duo were identified as suspects from house breaks that occurred in Rochester and Middleboro with the help of witnesses who described the suspects and their vehicle. As a result, an investigative task force from Rochester, Middleboro, Plympton, and Lakeville Police was formed and began to follow the pair in March 2008.

The task force caught the pair in the act when they broke into a home on Elm Street in Kingston while under police surveillance on March 20, 2008. As a result of the arrest, a search of their Plymouth home was conducted where police recovered a tremendous amount of jewelry, jewelry boxes, and pawn slips. The recovered evidence helped link the pair to other breaks that occurred in Plymouth, Duxbury, and Halifax as well.

His son is still awaiting a trial.