SALEM – A homeless Lynn felon who admitted burglarizing two homes will spend up to 12 years in state prison.Joseph Sherman, 49, was on the court list for a preliminary trial hearing earlier this month, but instead opted to confess to two counts of unarmed burglary before Judge Howard J. Whitehead.Sentencing had been postponed at the request of Assistant District Attorney Kristen R. Buxton in order for the two victims in the cases to come to court and give statements.In Salem Superior Court Wednesday morning, Buxton told Whitehead that neither victim elected to speak before the court.Sherman was then sentenced to serve 10-to-12-years in state prison.Whitehead adopted the joint recommendation of the prosecutor and defense lawyer Mark Schmidt.Buxton said the charges relate to two burglary incidents in Lynn in 2002 and 2007.On March 23, 2002, Sherman admitted burglarizing a home on Lynn Shore Drive.Subsequently he was identified through blood analysis discovered at the scene.Then on July 10, 2007, he broke into a home at 12 Audubon Park.A woman noticed a man behind the rear stairwell of the premises as she was pulling into the driveway to pick up her sister that evening.She flashed her high beams at the man to scare him away, but he did not move. She became fearful and left the premises, but called police immediately.Police responding to the area discovered a bag with various items inside including a cell phone and an envelope with Sherman’s name on it as well as a picture of him.He was arrested following an investigation and was then linked to both incidents, according to reports.Sherman has been convicted of similar crimes in Essex County 1986 and served prison time.He has been in custody since being arrested last July and will receive credit for that time held towards his term of incarceration.