A North Platte man who stole from a family member is going to prison.

Joshua Richards appeared in Lincoln County District Court for sentencing on Monday.

According to prosecutors, North Platte Police responded to a a reported theft in the 3100 block of Ioke Street in May.

The victim reported that they believed their family member, Richards, has stolen a laptop from their bedroom.

The victim told police that they had spoken to Richards, who told them a the laptop was at his friend’s house.  The victim said they contacted the friend, who told them he hadn’t talked to Richards in over a year.

The next day, the victim contacted police to report that Richards had stolen jewelry from them.

Officers eventually conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle Richards was driving, and were able to recover some of the stolen property.

Richards was convicted of burglary, a Class III felony.

Prior to sentencing, District Court Judge Donald Rowlands noted Richards’ extensive criminal record, which dated back to 2004.

He also stated that Richards had been placed on probation four different times, and probation had been revoked in each case.

Judge Rowlands then sentenced Richards to not less than one and a half to not more than three years in the custody of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services.

Richards was remanded to the custody of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office to await transport to Lincoln.