Roy Max Rivera Jr., 34, of Bishop was sentenced to eight years in prison Monday for burglarizing the house of his girlfriend’s landlord.

Nueces County Assistant District Attorney Jason Espinosa offered Rivera a plea deal of 12 years in prison while Rivera’s defense attorney, Luis P. Garcia, was asking for probation.

On Monday, a deal was reached and accepted. A Nueces County District Judge for the 94th District Court sentenced Rivera to eight years in prison for the first count and 10 years deferred adjudication for the second count along with a rehabilitation program.

According to Bishop Police Chief Larry L. Lawrence, on Tuesday August 18, 2009, officer Bianca De La Rosa was dispatched to 223 East Main to take a report of a burglary not in progress. Upon her arrival, she met with the property owner, Dan Montemayor, who reported that when he arrived home, he found the back door dead bolt lock to his residence was broken and that several items were missing from his house.

After further investigation, it was learned that Rivera had given a Winchester 30-30 rifle and a saxophone to another renter. During further investigation, it was learned that Rivera had sold a Mossberg 20 gauge shotgun to a neighbor. That weapon was recovered and later returned to Montemayor along with the Winchester rifle.

After speaking with the renter that received the Winchester from Rivera, it was learned that Rivera had approached him and told him that Montemayor had hired him to remove ev- erything out of his residence and it was free to anyone who wanted it, the chief said.

About August 24, 2009 an arrest warrant was issued by Nueces County Justice of the Peace Adolfo Contreras for Rivera, charging him with burglary of habitation.

On this same date, while patrolling, officer De La Rosa checked Montemayor’s residence and found that it had once again been burglarized. This time, several window air conditioner units were taken.

Later this same date after De La Rosa’s shift was over, it was learned that Rivera had sold one of the air conditioner units to a local Bishop residence and Rivera had taken another unit to the house of his girlfriend’s parents and installed it in a bedroom window. Both units were recovered and later returned to Montemayor.

Rivera was arrested and charged with two counts of burglary of habitation and transported to the Nueces County Jail.