Mack's housing director quit after it was learned he had a theft conviction.

But Mr. Diaz, a wiry, curly-haired man who has been in prison three times on theft convictions, is afraid of returning there.

His housing director quit after a prior theft conviction was revealed.

At appeal, on 31 March 2011, Foster's theft convictions were ruled unsafe and overturned, and his sentence was reduced to 9 years.

One of the sentences, a five-year-term for the theft conviction, will be served concurrently with the others.

Mr. Bradford, 32, served six years in prison for the 1986 murder, and has been back twice on theft convictions.

Initially found guilty of theft and criminal damage, his theft conviction was overturned in October 2002 on appeal.

Mr. Nickels and Professor Hancock said the rate of theft convictions among gypsies is probably about the same as that of the general population.

(The law was changed in 2011 to require three prior theft related convictions before a petty theft could be charged as a felony.)

Mr. Moolman also won dismissal of his theft convictions, and said he, too, would challenge the remaining fraud counts.