Habitual Criminal Sentenced to 13 Year Prison Term

Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks Announces Habitual Criminal Sentenced to 13 Year Prison Term After Conviction on Burglary and Fraud Charges

November 15, 2017

Reno, Nevada 

The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office has announced that a habitual criminal recently convicted on fraud and burglary charges has been sentenced to 13 years in prison.  The case involved the cashing and attempted cashing of fraudulent checks at several local casinos by a defendant with a lengthy criminal history including eight prior convictions for Burglary, Receiving Stolen Property, Theft, and Possession of a Controlled Substance.  The sentence ensures that the defendant will serve a minimum of 5 years in prison before parole eligibility begins.  

Steven Ray Queen, 38, from Washoe County was sentenced to 13 years in prison on Wednesday November 8, 2017 after having pled guilty in September to one count of Burglary, Second or Subsequent Offense and two counts of Uttering a Forged Instrument.  Based on Queen’s criminal record, this office sought and received habitual criminal status for sentencing purposes and worked closely with the Northern Nevada Repeat Offender Program (ROP) in prosecuting this case.  

The prosecution against Queen began in March when the Sparks Police Department (SPD) responded to a report of a fraudulent check that was cashed at a local casino.  Reports of several other attempts to cash fraudulent checks at different casinos were received by SPD and the Reno Police Department.  Queen was identified as a suspect and ROP detectives began an investigation.  Queen was ultimately apprehended in July during a surveillance operation in downtown Reno.