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Originally posted by Markos


A Reno man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for barricading himself in a comic book store and threatening to set off a homemade bomb in a dispute over stolen comic books.

Washoe District Judge Janet Berry handed down the sentence to comic book collector Robert Bailey, who earlier pleaded guilty to burglary and attempted kidnapping charges in a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Bailey, 47, a former casino craps dealer, was arrested after the 90-minute standoff March 22 at Alex D's Comics in Reno.

Police negotiators convinced Bailey to surrender without lighting an explosive device made up of small propane canisters, lamp oil and 4,000 firecrackers.

Police said Bailey wanted to destroy the downtown business after collectible comics he claimed were worth $100,000 were stolen from his storage shed in 2000.

He accused store owners of selling some of the stolen comic books. But police said there was no proof that any of the comics in the store ever belonged to Bailey.

Bailey was accused of entering the store with the bomb and a stun gun. He tried to handcuff a female employee, but she escaped after a struggle, police said.

Bruce Lindsay, Bailey's lawyer, urged the judge to give a light sentence because his client was reacting to the theft of his comic books.

Bailey tried to work within the system, but police ignored his pleas to investigate the store, the lawyer said. Bailey claimed the store had bought the comic books from the thief.

"He's not a predator on society,"Lindsay said."He's a man who went mad, who spent his whole life collecting comic books and they were taken away from him.

"To him it was his whole life and he lost his life and he went over the edge,"he said.

But Berry on Thursday sided with Deputy District Attorney Steven Barker, who argued for the maximum 12-year sentence. Bailey will be eligible for parole after serving four years.

"This man should do four years ... to reflect on what he did so we won't have him back here the next time things don't go his way,"Barker said."Justice demands this man be held accountable."

Information from: Reno Gazette-Journal


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