Guilty plea entered in Hecht house burglary

One of three people charged with stealing millions of dollars worth of watches and other luxury goods from a local developer’s house in 2020 pleaded guilty Monday to burglary.

Blake Cowan, 30, was already on probation when he committed the burglary at the home of Nikos Hecht and faces between eight and 12 years in prison when he is sentenced next month.

However, Cowan can withdraw the plea before the sentencing if restitution in the case cannot be agreed upon, said Lauren Maytin, Cowan’s attorney.

Maytin said the District Attorney’s Office has repeatedly tried to prompt Hecht into submitting a restitution amount, but has so far been unsuccessful.

Cowan, Nicholas Henderson and Eleanore Davis have been charged in the case. The burglary occurred in August 2020 at Hecht’s former home on Owl Creek Ranch Road and allegedly included the $6 million in Rolex watches, coins, jewelry and airsoft pistols, according to Cowan’s arrest warrant affidavit.

Cowan was tied to the case through fingerprints found at the scene. It was not clear Monday why he was on probation at the time of his arrest.

Davis was previously married to Hecht’s assistant’s son, while text messages showed they knew each other and that Davis haggled with Hecht for the return of some of the goods, according to the affidavit.

The cases against Davis and Henderson remain pending.