A 16-time convicted felon is heading back to prison for 15 years after terrifying a couple in The Villages during a middle-of-the-night home invasion.
Barry Earl Wilbanks, 38, of Wildwood, was sentenced to 15 years behind bars by Judge Brian J. Welke after a jury found him guilty Tuesday of burglary of a dwelling. Following the verdict, the court designated Wilbanks as a prison releasee reoffender, ensuring the stiff sentence.
Assistant State Attorneys Rachel Jones and Devon Razey successfully prosecuted the case, which stemmed from a terrifying break-in on Aug. 12, 2024. The home invasion occurred just three days after Wilbanks had been released from the Florida Department of Corrections.
At about 4 a.m. that morning, a husband and wife living on Privett Drive in the Village of Pine Ridge were awakened by the sound of their garage door opening. The husband got out of bed to investigate and walked into the laundry room, where he discovered Wilbanks rummaging through his wife’s purse.
The husband confronted the intruder, who retreated into the garage and attempted to get into the couple’s vehicle. When the husband yelled at him, Wilbanks fled on foot. The wife immediately dialed 911.
While Fruitland Park police officers were setting up a perimeter, a second 911 call came in from a nearby home on Trussler Terrace. A woman reported that she had checked her video surveillance system and saw a man climbing on top of her air conditioning unit in an attempt to access her roof.
An officer spotted Wilbanks running across the street and apprehended him after a brief foot chase. Upon his arrest, Wilbanks told officers he didn’t know where he was going or where he was. The husband from the initial home invasion was brought to the scene and positively identified Wilbanks as the intruder.
Wilbanks has a lengthy criminal record. Prior to this break-in, he was arrested in October 2022 for stealing a truck, a crime that landed him in prison for 22 months. He was also arrested in 2021 for allegedly punching his father, and he previously served time in prison following a 2018 family dispute before being released on Dec. 31, 2019.