The decision by a Nevada County Superior Court judge to allow a convicted thief to attend drug rehabilitation instead of heading to prison has left some of his victims fuming.

Lukas Tate pleaded guilty to theft of a vehicle in November after stealing an engine and custom-built trailer, intended for a scholarship raffle by the Roamin Angels Car Club, in September 2008.

The club has a scholarship program for teens going into automotive-related fields of study. To fund the scholarship, members raffle off a Chevrolet engine by selling tickets at car events all over Northern California and at Hot August Nights in Reno.

Tate stole the engine and the custom-built trailer used to transport it to shows from the home of a Roamin Angels member.

The trailer was found in December 2008, but it had been severely damaged, according to Roamin Angels President Ron Cherry.

“It was a mess,” Cherry wrote in a commentary in The Union at the time. “The whole affair was very demoralizing for the club. Something that we did for the youth in the community at great cost and effort had been destroyed.”

Several volunteers from the club with experience as fabricators moved into high gear, Cherry said, adding the trailer was planned to be shown at Autorama in January.

“Our members got together, and they got it done,” he said. “The amount of work was incredible. Most places would have said just throw it away — but it was custom-made.”

A crew completely rebuilt the trailer and mounted a replacement engine that had been donated earlier by the now-defunct Weaver Truck and Auto Center, in Grass Valley.

The club was able to take the trailer to Autorama to sell tickets.

“We kept the scholarship program going in spite of (the theft),” Cherry said.

Tate was charged in December 2008 with one count of theft of a vehicle and one count of possession of stolen property, with two prior convictions for vehicle theft in 2000, in Nevada and Sacramento counties. He pleaded guilty to the first theft in November, and restitution was set at $13,365.

On Jan. 4, although the Probation Department apparently had recommended a prison sentence, Judge Robert Tamietti agreed to postpone Tate's sentencing until July, pending successful completion of a drug rehabilitation program.

Tate is in an inpatient program at Progress House, in Grass Valley, and is to remain there until further notice. He also must repay at least $2,500 by July 6.

“The judge is doing something kind of creative here,” said Nevada County Deputy District Attorney Katie Francis. “He's giving him an opportunity to create a better appearance for his sentencing. If he does that, the judge may look at him more favorably.”

“I was disappointed, definitely,” Cherry said after the hearing.

Cherry and 20 other Roamin Angels members attended the sentencing hearing, where Cherry presented a summary of the club's loss. Several people spoke on Tate's behalf, arguing he had reformed, Cherry said.

“Tamietti said he was going to give him a chance to walk the walk,” he said.

But Cherry wasn't convinced Tate has turned over a new leaf.

“He has never said who received the engine or helped in the crime,” he said. “To me, that indicates a lack of remorse and wanting to set things straight.”

Tate is back in court for review at 9 a.m. Jan. 29. He is facing four years in prison and five years of probation.

To contact Staff Writer Liz Kellar, e-mail lkellar@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4229.