An elderly, homeless man will most likely be spending the rest of his days behind bars after he was sentenced for bank robbery. And he couldn't be happier.

The U.S. District Court in Reno, NV sentenced Tommy Ray McAdoo, 77, to 15 years in prison for the Fall 2016 holdup where the steak knife-wielding bandit made off with more than $2,000 from a bank.

It is an outcome that McAdoo preferred. He admitted he committed the crime so he could go back to a prison cell in the first place, seeking time behind bars as a refuge to homelessness.

“In large part, Mr. McAdoo simply wanted to get out of the cold and return to prison,” his lawyer said.

His federal public defenders were pushing for a lighter sentence -- about five years -- and pleading for leniency in the case. The judge, however, determined McAdoo to still be a threat to public safety.

“He has shown a willingness to commit a violent crime in order to obtain a benefit, including government housing,” said U.S. District Court Judge, Robert C. Jones.

McAdoo has lived a life of crime his entire adult life. His most recent release from prison was in 2008, and his rap sheet of past offenses includes numerous robbery convictions and committing assault with the intent to murder and intent to commit rape.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.