The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office has announced that a defendant, previously convicted on multiple robbery and weapons charges stemming from a 2015 arrest, has been sentenced to 46 years in prison. The defendant was found guilty in January, following a weeklong jury trial in District Court.

Stephen John Michael Christie, 28, from Sparks was sentenced last Thursday on two counts of Robbery, one count of  Burglary, one count of Leaving The Scene Of An Accident Involving Personal Injury, one count of Possession Of A Stolen Motor Vehicle, two counts of Burglary While In Possession Of A Deadly Weapon, one count of Eluding A Police Officer, one count of Possession Of A Firearm With Serial Number Changed, Altered, Removed, Or Obliterated, one count of Possession Of Implements Or Tools Commonly Used For Commission Of Burglary Or Larceny and one count of Felon In Possession Of A Firearm.  Habitual criminal sentencing was sought by this office, but not granted.  However, Christie’s sentence ensures he will serve a minimum of 14 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole.   

Christie was apprehended in September, 2015 after a vehicle and foot pursuit involving Reno, Sparks and other local law enforcement agencies. The Reno Police Department had initially connected Christie to a stolen vehicle in West Reno and when officers attempted to stop the vehicle, Christie fled. He was eventually caught and connected to store robberies and vehicle thefts in Washoe County.  A subsequent investigation located a firearm that Christie had attempted to discard during the chase. Evidence connected Christie to robberies at a local Walmart and Ford dealership, as well as stolen vehicle cases and eluding.  The Reno and Sparks Police Departments, Washoe County Sheriff and Nevada Highway Patrol were all involved in investigating the cases against Christie and following his arrest this office filed formal criminal charges against him.

At sentencing, Deputy District Attorney Carrie Morton argued that Christie had been convicted of his first felony at 18 and has been continually committing crimes for the last decade, leaving a trail of victims in his path.  One of the victims in the current case testified during sentencing that she was pregnant during the robbery and the stress of it impacted her unborn child and continues to impact her and her children.