Former Kewaunee County deputy reaches plea deal in stalking case
Eric Pieschek pleaded no contest to misdemeanors
KEWAUNEE, Wis. (WBAY) - A former high-ranking Kewaunee County sheriff’s deputy accused of stalking a former girlfriend and poisoning a horse has accepted a plea deal.
Eric Pieschek pleaded no contest to attempted poisoning of an animal and two counts of disorderly conduct. All of the charges are misdemeanors, each one carrying no more than 9 months in jail and a fine up to $10,000. The felony stalking charge was dismissed but read into the plea.
The judge denied a request from the former girlfriend to reject the plea bargain.
As we reported in March, a hearing turned heated when the prosecution and defense argued over whether charges would be read into the record or outright dismissed. The judge pointed out the distinction would make a difference in how Pieschek is sentenced.
A crime that’s dismissed in a plea deal but read into the record can be considered by the judge as speaking to the defendant’s intent and rehabilitation, but the judge cannot take into account a charge that’s dismissed outright.
A sentencing date wasn’t immediately set, but Pieschek avoids a trial that would begin in two weeks.
According to prosecutors, Pieschek’s live-in girlfriend asked Pieschek to stop contacting her after they broke up in 2022, but he continued reaching out to her, and even her friends and neighbors, through the mail. She started seeing him near her property, and apples found near her horses tested positive for poison.
Pieschek was placed on administrative leave in 2022 and later retired from the department, the sheriff said.
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