LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Nevada Board of Examiners has approved an award of compensation for Lugris Thompson, who was wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for a 2007 robbery that occurred in his apartment complex.
After the Eighth Judicial District Court awarded Thompson a Certificate of Innocence on Oct. 31, he was also compensated with $351,390.40 for his time spent incarcerated.
"I'm thrilled that Mr. Thompson has been officially declared an innocent man after serving time for a crime he did not commit," said Attorney General Aaron Ford in a news release. “While no amount of money can ever replace our freedom, I hope that this award will help Mr. Thompson restart the life that should never have been interrupted. I want to thank the attorneys in my office who have worked tirelessly on this case."
In April 2007, two men were accused of committing a robbery in the parking lot of a Las Vegas condominium complex where Thompson resided. Thompson was wrongfully arrested and convicted for several crimes, including kidnapping, attempted grand larceny auto and conspiracy to commit robbery. Court records show he received a sentence of nine to 23 years but continued to maintain his innocence since there was no physical evidence linking him to the crime.
In 2012, after a man who pled guilty to the crime told Thompson's stepfather that Thompson was innocent, law enforcement began a further investigation into the crime.
Thompson's exoneration comes after the Nevada Legislature adopted Assembly Bill 267, which sets a framework to compensate persons who have been wrongfully incarcerated if they can prove they were wrongfully convicted.
