BLOOMINGTON - A Normal man accused of stealing large amounts of gold jewelry from Indian residents accepted a plea deal Thursday that will send him to prison for 18 years.

Brian Shiers, 37, also was ordered to pay about $60,000 in restitution to victims.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of residential burglary involving break-ins in March and August 2008. Additional counts of attempted burglary and burglary were dismissed in the plea agreement.

Defense attorneys Steve Skelton and Carla Harvey were with Shiers for the plea hearing. Chief Felony Prosecutor Mark Messman handled the plea for the state.

Bloomington police believe Shiers was behind 37 residential burglaries or attempted burglaries.

He was arrested in March 2008 in connection with a burglary in which he was stopped with Jason Bragg as the two were leaving an east-side apartment. The pair told police they were maintenance workers, a story police disproved before arresting the suspects.

Bragg was sentenced to five years in prison for his role in the burglary.

While Shiers was out on bond in the March 2008 case, authorities believe he committed a string of additional burglaries targeting the homes of Indian residents.

Shiers' wife, Theresa, faces a single count of possession of stolen property and money laundering. She is free on $5,000 bond and is due back in court May 29 for a hearing to determine the status of her case.

She also is fighting attempts by the state to keep a car and electronic items that prosecutors say were purchased with proceeds of the burglaries. She says they were purchased with money from other sources.