Purse snatcher gets hefty prison sentence

A Carson City man who snatched two purses and stole a man's pants off of him when he couldn't get his wallet was sentenced to a lengthy prison term.

Christopher Hugh Trappe, 23, will spend the next three to 12 years in prison on charges of grand larceny, fraudulent use of a credit card and burglary.

According to court documents, Trappe took a purse from a shopping cart at Walmart on May 3 and rang up more than $2,000 on the victim's credit cards; on May 13, he snatched a purse from an elderly lady outside Raley's as she was loading groceries into her car and on May 27 he and another man followed a gambler out of an East Carson City casino and beat the man for his $400 in slot winnings. When they were unable to get the victim's wallet out of his pants, they took his pants.

Judge Todd Russell rejected a defense request for leniency.

He sentenced Trappe to 12-36 months on the grand larceny charge, 12-34 months on the fraudulent use of a credit card charge and 16-72 months on the burglary charge. Russell ordered the sentences to run consecutive.

"Sorry to the person I did that to," said Trappe about the Walmart purse theft. "I just need to learn the tools to stay sober."

"There's nothing left for Mr. Trappe but ... a lengthy prison sentence," said Deputy District Attorney Melanie Porter. "If you look at the victims he's left in his wake, the destruction he's left in his path, it's not appropriate for him to be on the streets."

Also before Judge Russell on Monday:

• Scott Michael Tyzbir, 49, was sentenced to 24-60 months in prison on a charge of possession of a stolen vehicle.

• Frederick Joseph Atherton, 22, was sentenced to 12-36 months in prison on a charge of conspiracy to violate the uniform controlled substance act.

• Chase Andrew Fuller, 20, was sentenced to up to three years probation, with a sentence of 16-72 months in prison suspended, on a charge of burglary.

• A trial date for Victor Hugo Gomez-Cano, 36, in the robbery of the Sun Credit is set for Dec. 21.