Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Judge refuses to be lenient again with Las Vegas burglar

Although Tad Maserang committed a string of burglaries of Las Vegas businesses, he thought he had the system wired.

Sure, he had to plead guilty in a plea bargain, but his father owned a construction company and there were influential friends.

One of those was former Sheriff Ralph Lamb, who wrote a letter to District Judge Stephen Huffaker seeking boot-camp -- not prison -- for Maserang.

The judge commented at the sentencing that Maserang seemed to have "a pretty good attitude" and agreed that boot camp might benefit the defendant, who had a history of drug problems.

But it wasn't long before Maserang was back in Huffaker's courtroom. It seemed the "juice" the admitted burglar thought was flowing for him nonstop didn't grease the wheels at boot camp.

Deputy District Attorney Gary Guymon said at the court hearing this month that Maserang began his boot camp stay by complaining that he couldn't perform the strenuous activities required because of shoulder surgery he had undergone.

Boot camp officials offered him limited duty but Guymon said he responded first with a profanity and then by saying, "I've worked this out with my judge. I'm not doing prison time."

Maserang denied to Huffaker that he made the statement.

Guymon said Maserang should be in prison and recalled how he broke into businesses and smashed poker machines for the money inside. Guymon told how Maserang finally was captured after five burglaries and agreed to plead guilty to two counts, a plea bargain that he apparently knew would result in his release until sentencing.

"Within 24 hours, he had committed another burglary and had stolen $3,000 worth of glasses," the prosecutor said.

"He was blessed with countless opportunities and an affluent family, but our system has to have bite in it," he said in asking for prison time.

Guymon chastised Maserang for complaining about his shoulder when he seemed to have no problem working his construction job or moving an air-conditioning unit to break into the Jeffrey's of Chicago restaurant at 6135 W. Sahara Ave.

He added that Maserang scaled a wall during his escape from one burglary and wrestled for several minutes with a UNLV football player while fleeing from another crime.

Huffaker sentenced Maserang to 18 to 45 months in prison on one of the two counts to which he pleaded guilty. He will have to serve the minimum term before becoming eligible for parole.

On the second burglary count, Huffaker fashioned a sentence that will force Maserang to face his drug problem or return to prison for an identical term.

When Maserang is paroled on the first charge, he will begin serving probation for the second charge. As part of the probation, he will be required to obtain drug abuse treatment or go to prison for another 18- to 45-month sentence.

archive