A Knox man was sentenced on a charge of failing to register as a sex or violent offender in a hearing in Starke Circuit Court Wednesday morning.
Eric Sobieck, 45, pleaded guilty in a plea agreement between his defense attorney, Richard Ballard, and the Starke County Prosecutor’s Office. It was eventually accepted by Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall.
Sobieck admitted that he failed to register on the sex offender registry at the Starke County Sheriff’s Department. He stated in open court that he was evicted from his Knox home on Washington Street and was staying at the home next door. He failed to notify the Sheriff’s Department which is a requirement after being convicted of a sex crime. He is required to do so until 2021, as noted by Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Micah Cox.
He was arrested on July 27, 2019, after an officer arrived at the home while executing a parole violation warrant where Sobieck was registered and the officer learned that Sobieck was living in the home next door.
Sobieck pleaded guilty to one count of failure to register as a sex or violent offender with a prior unrelated charge as a Level 5 Felony. Per the terms of the agreement between the defense and the State, Sobieck will serve four years in the Department of Correction with two years suspended to be served on probation. He is permitted to serve two years on home detention with electronic monitoring if approved. He may petition to modify the sentence at any time.
