A Houston man has been sentenced to 16-years in prison for stealing more than $90,000 from a jewelry store in Katy Mills Mall.
Bryant
Judge Thomas R. Culver, III sentenced Michael Lynn Bryant, 46, on Feb. 23 after Bryant pleaded guilty to the robbery.
According to Assistant District Attorney Amanda Bolin, Bryant and three co-defendants walked into Katy Mills Mall on Jan. 8, 2007 and broke into “The Jewelry Box” store at approximately 1:45 a.m. The defendants stole what may have been more than $90,000 in jewelry. Although it only took a few minutes to commit the crime, a security guard had called the police after noticing the men acting suspiciously before entering the mall. The Katy Police Department caught all four defendants before they exited the mall.
Bryant has been in and out of prison since the 1980’s on many theft-related crimes. In 1991 he received a 45 year prison sentence for robbery and auto theft. He was paroled after serving approximately 15 years on his sentence and committed this crime only six months later.
“In every prior prison sentence the defendant was paroled but had that parole revoked due to a new offense,” said Bolin, “so I asked for a lengthy prison term to be stacked on the remainder of his 45 year sentence.”
Judge Culver agreed and sentenced Bryant to 16 years in prison which he will not begin to serve until the prior 45 year sentence has been completed, or until he is granted parole on that sentence again.
“To allow Bryant to have concurrent time in this case would have been allowing him to profit from his continued criminal activity,” added Bolin.
Burglary of a Building is a state jail felony with a punishment range between 180 days and 2 years in a state jail facility. Bryant’s criminal history increased his punishment range to that of a second-degree felony and 2 to 20 years in prison.
Assistant District Attorney Amanda Bolin prosecuted the case. Attorney Kevin Arnold represented the defendant.
