AG Van Hollen: Kent Haluska sentenced in Brown County

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Dana Brueck 608/266-1221

MADISON — On August 28, 2012, Kent Haluska appeared in Brown County in front of the Hon. Donald Zuidmulder for sentencing. Mr. Haluska had previously entered pleas to four felony counts: one count of Felony Theft of over $5,000; one count of Fraudulent Writings and two counts of Identity Theft. The case was originally referred to the Department of Justice (DOJ) by several consumers who complained about the business practices of the defendant when he operated a business known as Nature’s Pest and Wildlife. The case was investigated by the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and the DOJ’s Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), leading to the issuance of criminal complaints in Brown, Outagamie and Winnebago Counties. The charges were consolidated to Brown County for plea and sentencing.

The defendant was sentenced to a period of incarceration of 50 months on the Fraudulent Writings count, with the first 14 months to be initial confinement followed by 36 months extended supervision. On the remaining three counts, the court imposed and stayed consecutive terms of incarceration of six years, with three years of initial confinement and three years of extended supervision. The court then placed the defendant on probation for five years with the probation to be consecutive to the prison term imposed on the Fraudulent Writings count. The court ordered as a condition of extended supervision and probation that the defendant pay $5,187.47 in restitution and that he seek and obtain full-time employment where he is working for another individual. The defendant is not to be self-employed.

The state was represented by Assistant Attorneys General Richard J. Dufour and Phil Ferris. Crime Victim Services were provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of Crime Victim Services.