Former sheriff’s chief deputy pleads guilty

Former Pulaski County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Ron Patrick has pleaded guilty to one felony after previously facing 11 counts. 
Patrick, who was indicted on five counts of theft, four counts of official misconduct, one count of obstruction of justice and one count of deception on Aug. 9, 2016, pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice on March 5.  
According to the indictments, Patrick is accused of taking four guns and some ammunition, some of which were police evidence. He is also accused of obstruction of justice in the same incident as former Pulaski County Sheriff Mike Gayer, “retroactively transfer ownership of a handgun to the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department when said handgun had already been improperly sold or transferred.” It appears that the guns that are missing or thought to be stolen were taken between Feb. 2, 2004, and July 27, 2014.
The charges came after a 12-month investigation by the Indiana State Police of both Gayer and Patrick. 
Patrick resigned from his position in July of 2014 before Gayer’s term was completed.
According to the stipulated factual basis, Patrick is pleading guilty to committing one count of obstruction of justice from an incident that occurred on Sept. 5, 2012. 
As per the plea agreement, the court will decide the appropriate sentencing that could be between six months and three years. The advisory sentence for a Class D felony is 18 months. The agreement further states that the defendant can “argue for judgment to be entered as a Class A misdemeanor” and that the “state agrees to stand silent as to the issue of entering judgment as a Class A misdemeanor and leave the same to the sound discretion of the court.” 
A sentencing hearing has been set for Patrick on April 18.

See the full story in the Pulaski County Journal, available in print and e-edition.

Pulaski County Journal

114 W. Main Street
Winamac, IN 46996

(574) 946-6628
 

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