Man sentenced to time served for theft of airport pickup

Donald M. Santacroce, 66, of Rapid City, South Dakota, appeared in front of the Honorable Mark Kozisec in the Holt County district courtroom in O’Neill on June 3, to be sentenced for his conviction of theft by unlawful taking, $1,500-$4,999.

Kozisec sentenced Santacroce to 254-255 days in a facility under the jurisdiction of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, with credit given for 135 days previously served. Taking good time into account, Santacroce was entitled to immediate release. He was taxed $275.23 costs of prosecution.

Santacroce pleaded no contest to the charge April 1, as part of a plea agreement. In exchange, prosecutor Brent Kelly agreed to file no additional charges.

Santacroce was charged last June after he left the state in a 2007 Trailblazer owned by the O’Neill Airport Authority. He had been a part-time employee of the airport but did not have permission to take the vehicle. A warrant, issued for his arrest in July 2023, was served Jan. 20.