MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) — A 52-year-old man will spend 15 years in prison after a police drone caught him breaking into a Bethesda home, connecting him to several other burglaries across the area.
The Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday that a circuit court judge sentenced Edward Bryant, of Columbia to 108 years in prison, suspending all but 15 years to serve in connection with six burglaries across Bethesda, Potomac and Rockville.
Bryant will also serve five years of supervised probation when he is released. His sentencing comes after he pled guilty on March 4 to three counts of first-degree burglary, two counts of theft over $100,000, one count of between the value of $1,500 and $25,000 and one count of fourth-degree attempted burglary.
The state’s attorney’s office said Bryant broke into the homes on six different occasions between December 2024 and August 2025, stealing from the residents. According to officials, he also tried to enter a seventh home.
“Bryant’s method of operation was to enter a residence through a second-story window, go to the primary bedroom and other bedrooms on the second floor, and take jewelry, cash, handbags, and other valuable items,” the state’s attorney’s office said in a news release.
Using drone technology, police were able to catch Bryant. On Aug. 16, 2025, the Montgomery County Department of Police suspected Bryant was trying to commit a burglary and deployed a drone to his location.
Captured drone footage showed his car parked near Temple Street and Valley Road in Bethesda. Bryant then rode a bike several blocks to the 6000 block of Cardigan Road, where he hid the bike and walked to the back of the house.
The drone then filmed Bryant climbing onto the back porch and entering the house through a second-floor window, the attorney’s office said. Bryant was in the home for about 20 minutes, using a flashlight, before fleeing and riding his bike back to his car, where police arrested him.
Upon searching his home, police reported finding items believed to be connected to the burglaries, including a green Rolex box, a Gucci Belt,, a Black/Gold Hermes Bracelet and a Wide Silver Bracelet.
“In this case, the Montgomery County Police drone caught the defendant in the act, producing video evidence that became invaluable for the State. We salute the police for seeking out increasingly sophisticated tools to solve crimes as technology evolves, and we are grateful that the defendant will no longer be able to target people in our community,” said State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
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