Habitual Criminal Sentencing

Burglary Conviction Results in 15 Years

The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office has announced that a 15-year prison sentence has been secured in a burglary case, in which the prosecutor sought and received habitual criminal status based on the defendant’s lengthy criminal history that spanned over 22 years and included 6 prior felony convictions. The sentence ensures a minimum of 6 years must be served before parole eligibility begins. In contrast, a burglary conviction ordinarily carries a maximum prison term of 10 years, with minimum parole eligibility possible after 1 year.

Kristina Margaret Schneider , 45, pled guilty in August to one count of Burglary and was sentenced last week to 15 years in prison in Washoe County District Court by Judge Breslow.  Schneider was arrested in May by detectives with the Northern Nevada Repeat Offender Program (ROP).  At the time of her arrest, Schneider was wanted in connection with multiple fraud cases that involved cashing fraudulent checks and obtaining title loans with fraudulent titles.  After her arrest, Deputy District Attorney Peg Samples filed criminal charges against Schneider, including notice of intent to seek habitual criminal adjudication.

At sentencing, the District Attorney’s Office argued that the habitual criminal laws exist to deter criminals like Ms. Schneider who repeatedly do harm to members of our community. 

The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office continues to work closely with the Northern Nevada Repeat Offender Program on cases involving habitual criminals. In commenting on the sentence, District Attorney Chris Hicks said “My office continues to prioritize aggressive prosecution of career criminals. Our goal is to prevent new victims from falling prey to these career criminals by securing lengthy prison sentences against them.”