State police have formally charged 25-year-old Justin P. Weissinger with eight burglaries throughout the region and expect to charge him in at least two more cases in upcoming weeks.

Weissinger and his younger brother, 21-year-old Karl W. Weissinger, are accused of breaking into homes in Lyme, Old Lyme and other towns and stealing quality jewelry and antiques. Karl Weissinger has been charged with six burglaries to date.

A Mystic jeweler has admitted he bought approximately $100,000 worth of items from the two brothers, who he said told him they had been bidding on abandoned storage units.

Weissinger has been incarcerated since he led Montville police on a high-speed chase in July.

During his appearance Wednesday, Judge John J. Nazzaro appointed attorney Matthew G. Berger as Weissinger's special public defender in all the new cases and set bonds of $25,000 on each of the new cases. Weissinger's total bond now amounts to $400,100, an amount that court officials say is irrelevant because the state of California has a retainer on Weissinger.

Should he post the bond in the Connecticut cases, he would immediately be turned over to California authorities, who have charged him with violation of probation. Weissinger was convicted of burglarizing homes while stationed at Camp Pendleton as a Marine. He is also a witness in a high-profile home invasion/double murder case there and is expected to be called on to testify sometime in 2013.

Weissinger's next court date in New London is Jan. 10.