California felon ordered back to prison in vehicle theft

A California man with 10 prior felonies notched another one last week when he was convicted Tuesday for car theft.

Joseph Henry Rickert IV, 33, was ordered to spend 1-4 years in prison after District Judge Tod Young decided to treat his charge as a felony.

Rickert stole a pickup from Harvey’s parking garage at Stateline and abandoned it in South Lake Tahoe.

Attorney Justin Clouser said his client was serving a life sentence on the installment plan.

“By his own admission he’s an addict,” Clouser said arguing for a treatment plan. “He’s looking for structure in real life.”

Prosecutor Matthew Johnson said Rickert had spent the last 15 years in jail, prison, probation and parole.

He said Rickert was found with a ring of 13 different keys.

Young pointed out that Rickert had failed a half dozen probations.

“You need to run to help, not away from it,” Young said.

• A California man caught in Douglas County last spring received 12-30 months in prison after admitting to stealing a catalytic converter in Washoe County District Court.

Broderick Allen Johnston, 26, was arrested April 19 after he and another man kyped a key from a golf cart at Silver City RV Park.

When deputies pulled them over, they found four catalytic converters and an electric saw.

According to the Washoe County District Attorney’s Office, one of the converters was cut from a vehicle parked at a Reno casino.

• A woman facing sentencing for child endangerment admitted she was drunk when she was arrested for violating her bail conditions.

Shalyn Nichole Lewallen, 38, was arrested on Dec. 8 after she had a .359 preliminary blood alcohol content when she was booked at 11 a.m.

Attorney Brian Filter sought Lewallen’s release on her own recognizance so she could seek treatment for what he called a severe alcohol addiction.

Prosecutor Chelsea Mazza pointed out that on a couple of occasions she had blood alcohol levels of .3 or greater.

She said that once a transdermal alcohol detector had been removed Lewallen was back to drinking again.

She faces a Jan. 24 sentencing after she admitted to driving under the influence with her children in the vehicle.

• A man said that he went out looking for drugs pretty much the minute he was released from custody was removed from drug court and his deferral revoked.

Robert Sean Underwood, 30, admitted to possession of a controlled substance Oct. 11 and was granted diversion.

He barely lasted a month before he was taken back into custody on Nov. 14.

“As soon as I was released from rehabilitation I was under the influence when I hit the streets,” he said, admitting he’d been using.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 27.

• A Dayton man admitted attempting to obtain codeine from three pharmacies before he was caught.

Daniel Jonathon Mcrunnel, 25, admitted to obtaining a controlled substance by fraud.

Mcrunnel faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine in connection with his Jan. 14 arrest for forging a prescription.

Mcrunnel is on probation in connection with a Carson City case. District Judge Tom Gregory reduced his bail to $2,000.

•A Walker man admitted to a count of third possession of a controlled substance on Monday.

The charge carries a 1-4 year sentence and a $20,000 fine.

Trevor William Redrobe, 38, will remain in custody until his Jan. 24 sentencing.

He was originally arrested Jan. 4, and was released, only to fail to return until he was arrested on a warrant on Nov. 19.