CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Corey Martinez, 47, received a suspended prison sentence and two years of supervised probation after pleading guilty to stealing parts from a landlord’s air conditioner. Judge Peter H. Froelicher issued the sentence on Nov. 12 in Laramie County District Court.
Martinez pleaded guilty to felony theft, admitting he dismantled and removed a Bristol residential air conditioner valued at $2,500 from a trailer park on South Greeley Highway. In addition to probation, Martinez must pay restitution and complete substance abuse treatment, as recommended in a pre-sentence investigation.
The theft occurred on Aug. 2, 2023, at a trailer park owned by landlord Robert Korber. While Korber was away, tenant Amanda Gomez asked Martinez to install a different air conditioner on her property. Korber later discovered his air conditioner dismantled, with some parts left in a dumpster.
Tenant Wendy Saggus witnessed Martinez near the air conditioner and told him it belonged to Korber. Despite this, Saggus later saw Martinez loading air conditioner components into his white Dodge truck. She photographed Martinez’s truck near the dumpster and documented the discarded air conditioner parts.
Detective Abraham Maljian connected Martinez to the theft through eyewitness accounts, photos and Facebook messages. Gomez provided messages showing Martinez acknowledged taking the unit. He claimed he mistakenly believed neighbors had given him permission.
On Oct. 4, 2023, Detective Maljian confirmed Martinez’s identity using a Colorado driver’s license and records from pawn shop database LeadsOnline. Witnesses, including Gomez, Saggus and another tenant, identified Martinez as the person responsible for the theft.
Martinez’s 18- to 36-month prison sentence was suspended in favor of supervised probation, with conditions including substance abuse treatment. He also received credit for 46 days served in jail. He qualified as an addicted offender under Wyoming’s Addicted Offender Act, which will guide aspects of his rehabilitation.
