Pillowcase burglars rack up prison time

A Carson Valley resident testified she couldn’t sleep with her light off for more than six months after her home was broken into, and ransacked by thieves, who she said took not only heirlooms, but also her sense of security.

“These men targeted my jewelry chest in my closet,” she said. “There were 50 years of mementos that I’ve been collecting all my life, in there. Those were things that had absolutely no value to anyone, but myself. I’m angry. Every time I go to think ‘Oh, I’ve got this’ and then I remember I don’t. Every time it makes me angry. These things had no value to them; it was my silver baby cup I got from my mom and my mother-in-law’s pearls after she passed away, but they were invaluable to me.”

Confessing to their crimes and apologizing to the court, community and their victims wasn’t enough to keep two men who admitted to the pillowcase burglaries to evade more than a decade in prison, apiece.

Tracey Lock, 41, and Travis Lieberwirth, 37, were sentenced to prison for their involvement in a tri-county burglary ring that included more than 20 different break-ins.

Both men were charged with burglary with a firearm, Lock receiving 72-180 months and Lieberwirth 60-180 months.

Lock faced his Carson City charges Oct. 5, picking up his first 4-10 year prison sentence.

Lieberwirth has not yet been sentenced in Carson City.

Both men are still awaiting court proceedings in Washoe County, the last of the counties with charges against them.

Connecting their involvement in the burglaries to the drug and gambling addictions wasn’t enough to provide the victim with the peace of mind, she said the men took from her at the beginning of the year.

Both attorneys argued that maximum sentences were too long based on the mens’ cooperation with authorities after their Feb. 12 arrests.

However, because of the stacks of prior felonies both had; Lock with a previous charge for robbing Hamdogs and Lieberwirth has more than 12 felony convictions, maximum sentences were imposed, with different parole eligibilities.

Before receiving his 72 month sentence, Lock apologized to his victims and expressed empathy.

“I truly am sorry,” Lock said. “There is not excuse for what I have done. My own home was burglarized and I know what it did to me and I should have thought about that when I was doing this. That just wasn’t where my head was at ... I thought because no one was home, no one was going to get hurt, but I am fully aware what my actions have done.”

Lock and Lieberwirth both had multiple felonies pleaded down to the single burglary with a firearm charge.

Lock was ordered to pay $83,399.30 in restitution to the victims, $75,000 of it being jointly with Lieberwirth.

Lieberwirth was ordered to the same $75,000 joint restitution as Lock and will face sentencing in Carson City.

He was given credit for 154 days of time served.

Lock has been serving his Carson City prison time and is also awaiting sentencing out of Washoe County.

Lock may have to be resentenced because of confusion regarding victims and restitution from Carson City and Douglas County.

At his Oct. 5 sentencing Douglas County victims appeared and spoke.

Because Douglas victims may have testified in Carson City, that sentencing may have to be redone to reflect the correct restitution and impact statements.

Lock and Lieberwirth were connected to the break-ins after neighbors in Foothill spotted a vehicle that was traced to Lieberwirth.

In all, seven people were arrested in connection with the case.

Only Lock and Lieberwirth were prosecuted in Douglas County.