photo by: Douglas County Sheriff's Office

Byron Parker Aston, pictured July 23, 2019

A man accused of stealing grease from multiple Lawrence restaurants pleaded guilty and was convicted Wednesday in Douglas County District Court.

Byron Parker Aston, 29, of Springfield, Mo., was first charged Feb. 27 with felony theft for allegedly stealing more than a ton of used cooking grease from bins behind three downtown Lawrence restaurants.

Prosecutors said Aston came back to Lawrence for a court hearing in July and afterward stole grease and a grease bin from another downtown restaurant. Police said they also found a modified shotgun and a stolen rifle in his truck at that time.

Aston pleaded guilty to theft in his first case and prosecutors dismissed a second charge, driving while suspended, Dorothy Kliem, trial assistant for the Douglas County district attorney’s office, said via email Thursday. In his second case, he pleaded guilty to criminal use of weapons and prosecutors dropped a misdemeanor theft charge and a second charge of driving while suspended, Kliem said. Both counts are low-level felonies.

Chief Judge Peggy Kittel granted Aston a $10,000 own-recognizance bond in both cases pending his sentencing. As a condition of his bond, he is to have no contact with his two former co-defendants or the company that accused him of the thefts. He also is not to work in the grease business, online court records show.

As the Journal-World reported in March, grease theft is a problem that has been likened to theft of scrap metal. Companies can make money off of converting used grease into biodiesel products through processing plants.

Kittel said during the plea hearing that Aston is likely facing probation, and she doesn’t like to keep people in jail when that is the case. She asked if he was going to be able to get home, and he said he had someone to call for a ride. He said he has kids who need him.

“I’m well prepared for my release,” he told the judge. “That’s all I’ve been thinking about.”

Kittel told Aston he has a lot riding on his actions. He’ll need to come back to Douglas County for a presentencing investigation interview and his sentencing on Jan. 24, she said. She said she will have retired by then, but she was making a note in his file for the future judge.