The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office has announced a guilty verdict in a residential burglary trial that concluded late last week.  The defendant was accused of breaking into a Sparks home in December 2016 and stealing various items of value including jewelry, electronics, and a firearm.  Sentencing is set for November 15, 2017, and the defendant faces up to 35 years in prison.

Jerome Alan Kelly, 29, from Sparks was found guilty on one count of Burglary (Second or Subsequent Offense) with a Firearm, one count of Grand Larceny of a Firearm, one count of Ex-Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and one count of Possession of a Controlled Substance in District Court last Thursday.  Kelly was also convicted and sentenced on three unrelated felony cases last month involving charges of Duty to Stop at a Scene of an Accident Involving Personal Injury, Burglary, and Attempted Grand Larceny of a Motor Vehicle. These convictions resulted in a combined 16 year prison sentence.    

The case against Kelly began last December when the Sparks Police Department (SPD) responded to a burglary in progress at an address on Noreen Drive in Sparks. When SPD patrol officers arrived in the area, they contacted Kelly after the homeowner pointed him out. Kelly fled, but was apprehended after a brief pursuit.  SPD officers were able to determine that Kelly had entered the home alone and placed numerous items in bags, apparently for later pick up.  When the homeowner returned, Kelly fled with numerous pieces of jewelry, electronics, and a handgun in a backpack. When contacted, Kelly was also found to be in possession of methamphetamine.  Kelly was arrested and this office filed criminal charges against him.

At trial, Deputy District Attorneys Jeff Hoppe and Kevin Naughton focused on the fact that Kelly was the only one seen leaving the backyard of the home and possessed nearly every missing item that belonged to the victims.