Man Sentenced to Prison for Casper Auto Burglaries

A homeless man who admitted burglarizing unlocked vehicles in Casper during the month of June was sentenced to a term of imprisonment Thursday morning in Natrona County District Court.

District Judge Catherine Wilking sentenced 28-year-old Robert Akin Simpson to a term of five to six years in prison for two counts of burglary. She also provided a recommendation that Simpson participate in the Department of Corrections' intensive treatment unit.

"I've been through the prison system the last five years without getting treatment or anything like that," Simpson said before being sentenced. He explained that would get out of prison and repeat the behavior that got him in trouble in the first place.

"Given the nature of the offenses and the fact that Mr. Simpson was on parole at the time these offenses occurred, we feel it is an appropriate sentence," public defender Kurt Infanger told Wilking on Thursday.

Charging papers say Casper police responded to the Village Inn on South Durbin Street as well as Vigs Body Shop on North McKinley for separate reports of auto burglaries late on the night of June 8. The victims gave similar descriptions of the suspect.

Police found Simpson, who matched the descriptions of the suspect, walking on South Wilson toward First Street. An officer ordered Simpson to stop and handcuffed him.

Simpson said he was homeless, was out on parole and had a marijuana container in his backpack. Simpson initially claimed he had gotten into the car at Village Inn by mistake, saying he thought it belonged to his friend Alyssa and he had planned to spend the night inside the vehicle.

After the officer said he didn't believe that version of events, Simpson changed his story and said he had burglarized 10-15 vehicles that night. He said he would enter a vehicle in search of money, mostly stealing change. He said he was trying to get enough money for a bus ticket to Colorado.

A search of Simpson's backpack turned up hand tools, mechanic gloves, a substantial amount of change and medication not prescribed to simpson, as well as the marijuana.

"I hope that you take advantage of the treatment as you say that you want to," Wilking told Simpson after sentencing him on Thursday.