Karl Legg has been jailed for 6 years and his accomplice Michael Truman has been jailed for 5 years.
Legg, 37, from Gabalfa, was arrested in December 2021 following a three-week investigation into a spate of burglaries.
Truman, 33, from Penylan, was arrested a month later.
The pair worked together. Legg would break into houses through unlocked doors to steal car keys and cars which were then passed onto Truman.
Detective Sergeant Mike Healy, from South Wales Police, said:“Legg is a brazen ruthless career criminal who thought nothing of entering someone else’s home while they occupants were home.
“CCTV footage and mobile phone data revealed he was stealing vehicles on behalf of Truman who was driving him to areas to commit burglary. It is likely that the stolen vehicles, including a family camper van, were then sold on but unfortunately have never been found.
“Their actions have devasted people’s lives. Not only the trauma of having a burglar in your home but also the cost and inconvenience of replacing your vehicle.
“We hope the victims can have some sense of security and peace of mind knowing that Legg and Truman are not coming back for a significant amount of time.”
Detectives painstaking studied hours of footage from traffic cameras, CCTV and video doorbell to identify the suspects.
The breakthrough moment came when Legg failed to cover his face properly while trying a front door and he was caught on camera.
The silver car Truman had been driving to transport Legg was then involved in a road traffic collision and items stolen from one of the burglaries were found.
DS Healy added: “Being a victim of burglary is a traumatic experience and preventing and detecting such offences is a priority for South Wales Police.”
Legg was convicted of conspiracy to commit burglary, 12 burglaries and four attempted burglaries.
Truman was convicted of conspiracy to commit burglary, theft of two motor vehicles, and two counts of handling stolen goods.
They were sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday, January 30.
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