Former Mineral County Sheriff Stewart Handte and Reno citizen Roger Hillygus were sentenced on Wednesday to time served and probation. The sentencing came as part of a plea agreement between the Washoe County District Attorney and the pair, who were accused of abducting Hillygus’s mom from a memory care facility in 2019 and taking her to California.
They alleged Hillygus’s mom was being mistreated. They took her to the Los Angeles area and were arrested after a SWAT unit surrounded them.
The case was marked by delays and protests over how it was being handled, with a number of people from around the country firing off emails and letters claiming the court has no jurisdiction over the two, who, they alleged, were victims of a conspiracy by the DA, sheriff’s office and Reno Police Department.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Amos Stege asked that Handte serve additional jail time – four to 10 years – in part because of what he called Handte’s “violent rhetoric.”
District Court Judge Barry Breslow declined.
“Does that mean we don’t have things to talk about? No. We do,” Breslow said before finding Handte and Hillygus guilty of felony burglary. “If you successfully complete probation … and you are honorably discharged, you can come back … and withdraw your no-contest plea. You can be arraigned on, and sentenced to, a gross misdemeanor and time served.”
The pair have to successfully complete probation for the reduced charges. Both were fined $500 plus costs and fees to cover their extraditions from out of the area when they left Reno and had to be captured by law enforcement again after their initial arrests.
They can move out of state after the Nevada Division of Parole and Probation grants them permission. Both said they were going to leave Nevada.
“I’ve been labeled a threat to the health and safety of the Reno-Sparks community, the place I’ve lived for most of my life … 30 of which were in the law enforcement profession,” Handte said. “I’ll be blunt: I hate this town. I hate this town for what it’s become, and that’s a substantial statement from living here for 49 years.”
Stege said the extreme rhetoric that occurred from the pair and their supporters warranted additional jail time. Breslow instead ordered the two not to have contact with those involved in the case. He also told Handte not to post or publish inflammatory statements about the case that would inspire people to threaten or cause harm to others.
“The message here is to temper your comments appropriately; don’t give the [Division of Parole and Probation] any reason to come to your home and search your computer or your cell phone,” Breslow said. “Please do exactly the opposite and measure the words or the way you use your voice. Use it for good purposes.”
Breslow noted that Hillygus had a traumatic brain injury that changed his personality. He declined to grant Hillygus a post-prosecution diversion, which would give him the opportunity for education or treatment to avoid criminal charges.
“[There are ] too many acts of conduct that were extremely concerning,” Breslow said, also citing logistical challenges.
Online commenters criticized the lengthy case and multiple court hearings, which Our Nevada Judges has regularly covered. Some called Breslow a pushover, and another commenter called it “a sad silly case, with sad silly defendants and a sad silly judge.”
