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Residential entry, battery charges net man two years |
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Tuesday, November 03 2009 |
Man broke into woman's apartment and fondled her
Residential
entry, battery
charges net
man two years
By Chris Meyers
Staff writer
A South Whitley man arrested this spring for breaking into a woman’s apartment and fondling her in her bed was sentenced Monday to two years at the Whitley County Jail.
Twenty-two-year-old Brock A. Puckett was originally charged with burglary, a class C felony; sexual battery, a class D felony; possession of marijuana, a class D felony; and misdemeanor charges of possession of paraphernalia and public intoxication.
He was found guilty at a bench trial this fall on a class D felony charge of residential entry, a class B misdemeanor battery charge, a class D felony charge of possession of marijuana and a misdemeanor charge of possession of paraphernalia.
Puckett’s marijuana charge was increased to a felony because of a past dealing conviction.
“He did not learn his lesson from his 2007 conviction,” Whitley County Prosecutor Matt Rentschler said.
Puckett said he was ready to move on from his conviction and live a productive life.
“I’m ready to put all this behind me, and live life the way I should,” he said.
In handing down the sentence, Whitley Circuit Court Judge James Heuer noted Puckett’s past criminal history associated with substance abuse.
“If you can avoid the use of alcohol and marijuana, you could be a law-abiding citizen,” Heuer said.
He sentenced Puckett to two years at the Whitley County Jail with one to serve for residential entry, 180 days for battery, two years with one to serve for possession of marijuana and one year with 180 days to serve for possession of paraphernalia.
All sentences are to be served concurrent and the suspended balances to be served on probation.
A woman in an apartment called police in February to report she awoke to find a man in her bedroom who then fled.
Police tracked a scent to a nearby bar at which point Puckett approached police to report his car stolen.
When the car was located, police found marijuana and paraphernalia in it and Puckett was identified by the woman as being the person who was in her bedroom.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, November 05 2009 )
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