Credit thief sentenced to prison

A former Wal-Mart employee with a history of theft-related convictions was sentenced to 30 months in Nevada State Prison for stealing customers' credit information to purchase $2,300 in gift cards for himself.

Mark Butcher, 38, who lived in Saratoga Springs, told Judge Dave Gamble he finally accepted the fact that he had a spending problem.

"I have never admitted I have a problem at all until now," he said.

Butcher said he wanted help from the court to deal with the issue and monitor his progress.

"It isn't the task of the court to be everybody's mama," Gamble said. "We raise this issue ourselves by being a more helpful organization with drug court and mental health court rather than being a punishing organization.

"I don't know when they're (defendants) going to figure out help is out there before they commit the crime."

Prosecutor Tom Gregory said Butcher stole credit information more than 20 times while working at Wal-Mart and admitted similar behavior when he worked at McDonald's.

He was not charged for that offense.

"This is not a medical issue or a drinking issue or a drug issue," Gregory said. "It's a thief issue."

Butcher was convicted of three prior felonies and served a concurrent prison term in California for a similar offense.

"One thing that happens in the judicial system is that more things are declared illnesses and fewer things are declared for the wrong that they are," Gamble said. "This is the edge of a cliff I don't want to fall over."

He told Butcher he will have to serve a minimum of 12 months before he is eligible for parole and gave him credit for 52 days in custody.

Butcher also was ordered to pay $2,300 restitution for the gift cards which he exchanged for merchandise at another Wal-Mart.