Man sentenced to at least 21 years for hotel thefts

Tuesday, May 20, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

Ron Buckner admitted to a string of thefts at Las Vegas hotels that police said netted him nearly a quarter of a million dollars.

He was declared an habitual criminal and sentenced by District Judge Nancy Becker to three different prison terms on grand larceny and burglary convictions.

Prosecutors said Buckner would slip into hotel rooms on the Las Vegas Strip and hide under beds or in closets until the occupants returned to their rooms and eventually fell asleep.

Once they were asleep, Buckner would scoop up valuables strewn on dressers or tables and sneak out of the rooms without waking the tourists.

The thefts occurred between August and November 1995.

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