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WCDA Secures Lengthy Prison Term in Multiple County Burglary and Grand Larceny Case

The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office has announced that Michael Ralph Robinson Jr. 38, has been adjudicated a habitual criminal and sentenced in District Court on Wednesday. Robinson was convicted on multiple burglary and grand larceny charges and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years has been served. He previously pled guilty in August to 21 felony counts of Burglary (15 counts) and Grand Larceny (8 counts). This was Robinson’s 7^th felony event in a criminal history spanning over 18 years. Based on this, Deputy District Attorney (DDA) Michael Bolenbaker filed notice of intent to seek habitual criminal status for sentencing purposes.

The sentencing stemmed from an investigation conducted by the Northern Nevada Repeat Offender Program (ROP). ROP detectives began investigating Robinson in August 2018 after receiving information about a series of slot machine burglaries that had occurred throughout Washoe County between May and July. Based on the investigation, detectives determined that 14 slot machine burglaries had been committed, resulting in over $35,000 in loss for the involved restaurants and bars. Robinson was identified as the suspect in all the burglaries. A co-defendant, Mathew Michael Wiley, 38, was also identified as being involved in three of the burglaries. Surveillance footage collected from some of the targeted locations showed the suspects breaking into the restaurants and prying open the slot machines before taking the money inside. Robinson and Wiley were located and arrested. Wiley ultimately pled guilty in May to one count of Grand Larceny and was sentenced in June to 10 years in prison with the possibility of parole after 4 years has been served.

At sentencing, DDA Bolenbaker argued at sentencing that Robinson’s repeated victimization of local businesses combined with an extensive criminal history was deserving of a lifetime sentence. 

The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office continues to work with the Northern Nevada Repeat Offender Program on the investigation and prosecution of habitual offenders. The office will continue to seek lengthy prison sentences in these cases in order to prevent future crime and safeguard the community.