Murphy, Tabish sentenced in silver theft case

Friday, March 11, 2005 | 2:19 a.m.

Sandy Murphy may have to return to prison after all.

Murphy along with co-defendant Rick Tabish were sentenced Friday to one-to-five years for their roles in stealing $6 million in silver from Binion after his Sept. 17, 1998 death by raiding the former casino executive's underground vault in Pahrump.

The pair previously had been convicted of murdering Binion in May 2000, but those convictions were overturned by the Nevada Supreme Court and they were acquitted last November of murder in the same trial where they were convicted of the lesser burglary and grand larceny charges.

District Court Judge Joe Bonaventure handed down the sentences following a three-hour hearing in which he denied a motion to dismiss the theft charges.

Bonaventure, who presided over both high-profile trials, called the saga "a long, arduous" process.

"I wish I had some magic wand to put a cap on this case, but I don't," Bonaventure said before handing down the sentences.

Murphy was given credit for serving 54 days short of four years in prison. She will remain free on $250,000 bail while she appeals her convictions.

Tabish is already serving a prison sentence for convictions stemming from the first trial.