A Lompoc man with four strike convictions was sentenced this week to nine years and four months in state prison after being found guilty of repeatedly stealing from local retail stores — including nearly $1,500 in merchandise from Walmart and more than $680 from Marshalls.
On Tuesday, November 5, Judge Stephen Dunkle handed down the sentence to Myichael Kheal Jahmyi Tyre Lennon, 36, following a Santa Barbara County jury’s conviction on five felony theft counts. The jury also found true that Lennon had prior strike offenses.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, Lennon targeted the Marshalls and Walmart stores in Lompoc between March 15 and May 17, 2025. On five separate occasions, prosecutors say he walked in, grabbed merchandise, and walked out — typically using the fire escape as an exit route.
He was convicted on August 18 of four counts of petty theft with prior convictions, plus one count of second-degree commercial burglary.
It wasn’t Lennon’s first time facing serious charges.
Per additional details provided by DA spokesperson Amber Frost, Lennon has four prior strike convictions, including a 2007 case out of Santa Clara (robbery and assault with a deadly weapon, with a special allegation of personally inflicting great bodily injury), a 2019 conviction in Santa Barbara for dissuading a witness by force or threat, and another robbery conviction in 2021, also in Santa Barbara County.
In total, the retail thefts amounted to $2,147.37 in stolen merchandise — but the sentencing reflected far more than just the value of the goods.
The case, People v. Lennon, is one of several in recent months that the DA’s office has pointed to as a warning shot to habitual retail offenders.
“This office is committed to stopping serial thieves who continue to victimize our local businesses in Santa Barbara County,” said District Attorney John Savrnoch in a statement. “This verdict ensures that the defendant and anyone else who thinks they can steal without consequences will be held accountable for their actions.”
