39-year-old career criminal charged with 15 felonies since 2026 creating havoc for north side business owner
Repeat Harris County thief convicted 4 times this year keeps avoiding prison
A Houston business owner says a repeat offender has turned his neighborhood into a frequent target for theft. Despite four felony convictions this year and nine felony convictions overall, Richard Herrin has repeatedly received time-served sentences, prompting renewed calls for tougher penalties against habitual felony thieves.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - A Houston business owner says a repeat offender has become a constant problem after Richard Herrin was convicted of four felonies this year yet spent only days in the Harris County Jail, prompting renewed calls for tougher penalties on habitual felony thieves.
What they're saying:
Richard Herrin has been convicted of four felonies so far this year, but has only spent a few days in the Harris County Jail. He has a total of nine felony convictions, but he's only been to prison once.
Business owner Layne Sailer describes Herrin as a menace to society. The habitual thief has been a pain in Layne's side for about a year now.
Richard Herrin
"Career habitual property drug offender." That's how Andy Kahan with Houston Crime Stoppers describes Herrin.
While Layne and his employees are inside KEC, Herrin is allegedly opening car doors and breaking into mailboxes. From Fulton to Irvington to 610 and neighboring streets, just about everyone in the area knows Herrin and his alleged penchant for committing crimes.
"It's exhausting," Layne said.
He believes Herrin knows how to work Harris County's criminal justice system. Herrin pleads guilty and his sentence is usually time served, so he's serving felony convictions in a matter of days at the Harris County Jail, completely avoiding state jail or prison.
"I blame our system, we keep putting him back out," said Andy Kahan, who hopes to come up with a new offense in the upcoming legislative session called "Continuous Felony Theft." Defendants charged and convicted of felony theft three times in the same year would see their punishment enhanced to a 3rd degree felony and face two to 10 years in prison.
The Source: Business owner Layne Sailer and Andy Kahan with Houston Crime Stoppers