Neon Sign HVAC Theft Suspect Trezona Pleads Guilty; Deal Calls for 28 Months in Oregon Prison
This image released by The Dalles Police Department shows Tyson and Chandra Trezona being arrested on Dec. 21, 2024 outside their home at 2426 W. 13th Street in The Dalles after being secretly indicted on charges of stealing HVAC equipment from the National Neon Sign Museum.
By Tom Peterson
The Dalles, Ore., Sept. 11, 2026 — Tyson William Trezona pleaded guilty Wednesday, Sept. 9, to charges in five criminal cases, including aggravated first-degree theft connected to the theft of HVAC equipment from the National Neon Sign Museum, under a plea agreement calling for 28 months in Oregon prison.
The agreement brings a major resolution to a sprawling collection of criminal cases that had followed Trezona in The Dalles for nearly two years and generated sharp opposition from prosecutors, victims and residents of his West 13th Street neighborhood.
Under the agreement filed Sept. 9 in Wasco County Circuit Court, Trezona agreed to serve 28 months in Oregon Department of Corrections custody, followed by two years of post-prison supervision. He also agreed to pay $4,919 in restitution.
Five other cases were dismissed as part of the resolution, according to a general order signed Wednesday.
Trezona entered guilty pleas in five cases for one count each of felon in possession of a firearm, aggravated first-degree theft, second-degree theft and two counts of first-degree theft, according to his plea petition.
The National Neon Sign Museum theft was among the most prominent cases against Trezona and drew the charge of aggravated theft. HVAC units valued at more than $20,000 were stolen from the downtown museum in November 2024. Investigators later said surveillance video showed Trezona and his wife selling HVAC scrap metal in Portland.
The National Neon Sign Museum sits across the street from The Dalles Police Department. Thieves boldly stole the Museums HVAC units in November 2024. Photo via Google Maps
The plea agreement marks a substantial change from where the cases stood at the beginning of the year.
In January, Trezona, 35, pleaded not guilty in nine separate criminal cases before Wasco County Circuit Court Judge Marion Weatherford. Prosecutors made clear at the time that they would not agree to a resolution that allowed Trezona to avoid prison.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Caleb Berthelsen had previously said Trezona faced 38 months in prison, while defense attorney Louis Grossman had sought probation.
The disagreement followed Weatherford's decision in summer 2025 to grant Trezona conditional release so he could enter Milestones Family Recovery, a residential treatment program in Corvallis.
Trezona completed the residential program in November and returned to The Dalles.
His release to the treatment program had been strongly opposed by prosecutors and several victims, who pointed to his history of failing to appear in court and violating previous release agreements. At the July 2025 hearing, Berthelsen argued that Trezona had repeatedly avoided accountability, including forfeiting a $3,500 security deposit after failing to appear in the Neon Sign Museum HVAC case.
Weatherford nevertheless gave Trezona the opportunity to enter treatment, warning that failure could ultimately send him to prison.
“If he is unsuccessful, he will go to prison,” Weatherford said at the time.
But even after Trezona successfully completed treatment, prosecutors maintained their position that the criminal cases required prison time.
The cases had also become a flashpoint for residents near Trezona's West 13th Street home. Neighbors described years of theft allegations, police activity and repeated court proceedings that they said transformed what had been a quiet working-class neighborhood.
In a letter submitted to the court, residents said they remained uneasy even after Trezona returned from treatment.
“The feeling of safety that once defined our community has been replaced by apprehension and distrust,” the neighbors wrote.
They also acknowledged that conditions had improved while Trezona was in treatment and after his return, but said they remained concerned about what would happen next.
“We all believe everyone deserves a second chance but this will be his 4th, 5th or even 6th chance,” the letter stated. “Since he has been home from rehab it has been quiet but we are all on edge just waiting for the shoe to drop.”
Trezona's wife, Chandra Trezona, previously pleaded no contest to aggravated first-degree theft in connection with the National Neon Sign Museum HVAC theft and hindering prosecution for hiding her husband in the trunk of her vehicle while authorities were attempting to arrest him. She was ordered to pay more than $20,000 in restitution to the museum and placed on probation.
Tyson Trezona's plea paperwork states that the sentencing recommendations are part of the negotiated resolution, but the court must formally impose the sentence.
His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 8 at 9 a.m. in Wasco County Circuit Court.
