Burglar convicted in drug court case
Susanville resident Craig Samuel Lima, 26, was one of three men arrested following a burglary at Honey Lake Firearms on Main Street in Uptown Susanville. Lima was arrested, chared with the burglary and booked into the Lassen County Jail Sept. 9, 2016.
When Lima was arrested in connection with a fire that destroyed a restaurant, two attorneys‘ offices and a credit union and another attempted burglary over the Fourth of July weekend, the newspaper sought Lima’s court file from the September gun store burglary. Courthouse personnel originally said the file was “confidential,” but Chris Vose, the executive officer for the Lassen County Superior Court, looked into the newspaper’s concerns about a criminal court file not being available for public view. Vose called the newspaper Thursday, July 27 and said the file was available. Vose said he couldn’t comment directly on the Lima case, but he said sentencing guidelines do allow some cases and some information in some cases to be confidential. This case apparently does not fall under those guidelines.
Plea bargain makes it a drug court case David Evans, of the Lassen County District Attorney’s Office, and defense attorney Erin O’Toole-McNally presented a plea bargain to Lassen County Superior Court Judge Michele Verderosa. Under that plea bargain, Lima pleaded guilty to two felony charges and seven other charges in the case were dismissed.
Lima was sentenced to three years and eight months in jail, but “execution of the sentence is suspended and Craig Samuel Lima is placed on probation for a period of three years and defendant is to participate and successfully complete the Lassen County Drug Court Program.” He also received credit for 205 days served. While Verderosa originally questioned if the case qualified as a drug court case, the court finally determined the case qualified for drug court. When Verderosa advised Lima that the drug court program required total abstinence, Lima responded, “Roger that, your honor.” Lima appeared in drug court Jan. 12, 2017. Verderosa issued a felony arrest warrant for Lima April 12, 2017, and his bail was set at $25,000.
Jim Miller, an employee at Honey Lake Firearms, said five handguns were stolen in the September burglary, and four of those have been recovered.
My question: Who is Lima friends with? Stealing guns and getting off with probation! Something doesn’t smell right.