VALENTINE, Neb. — A 43-year-old transient man who stole several guns, swords and hunting and fishing equipment in Valentine has been sentenced to five to 10 years in prison.

Nicholas Hamling pleaded guilty to three felony charges — burglary, possession or receipt of a stolen firearm, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person — as part of a plea agreement. Four additional felony charges were dismissed.

According to court documents, a Valentine man reported a burglary June 6. Items reported stolen included three rifles that had been purchased from Tooth and Whisker Outdoors in Valentine. Investigators used store records to obtain serial numbers for the stolen firearms.

A few days later, the store notified police that someone had come in asking for a value estimate on two guns that Nicholas Hamling had offered to sell him. Those firearms matched the serial numbers of the stolen rifles.

Investigators also spoke with another man who told police he had bought additional items from Hamling, including another rifle and a sword. Both matched the description of stolen property.

After searching a camper trailer used by Hamling, authorities found several more stolen items, including two fly rods, a fly reel, a camping bag, and a second sword.