A Monroe man was sentenced in Green County Circuit Court Friday to 90 days in jail and four years of probation for stealing John Deere tractors from three rural Monroe farms last spring.
Mark Dieckman, 27, told the judge the thefts, all Class I felonies, were a "dumb choice."
"I'm a John Deere man. I feel bad that I took these tractors because I know they needed them," he said. After he stole the first tractor, "it just kind of escalated." He said he considered driving the tractors back to their owners, but was afraid of getting caught.
Court records indicate Dieckman rode off with a 1973 John Deere Model 4400 in late April. Three weeks later, he took a 1992 Model 4250 from another farm. His third theft, two weeks later, was of a Model 4230.
The prosecution dismissed but read in felony charges of breaking into a shed and taking/driving a vehicle without consent.
Dieckman has already paid the court $2,000 toward his restitution, but still owes more than $20,000.
He had no criminal record until this case.
"He's got a reputation of staying clean and working hard," said defense attorney Peter Kind. "It's out of character with his previous record."
Prosecutor Gary Luhman echoed the defense and said Dieckman had been cooperative with the criminal investigation. Luhman's main concern was recouping money to the victims - who he pointed out got their tractors stolen exactly when they needed them most, during the spring field work.
Dieckman could have faced more than 10 years in prison if sentenced to the full extent of the law. Instead, Judge James Beer went with the prosecution's recommendation of jail time and probation.
"It would appear this is your first hiccup in life," Beer said.
Dieckman explained he stole the tractors during a difficult time in his life. He had recently lost his grandpa, he was going through a "rough spell" with his girlfriend and he had a "funny feeling that there was another layoff coming" where he was working, Orchid International.
"I was into gambling and into drinking for a while there," he said. When it got so bad that he wrecked his truck while drunk, he added, he quit drinking.
"I made some poor choices and now I got to pay for 'em," he said.
Mark Dieckman, 27, told the judge the thefts, all Class I felonies, were a "dumb choice."
"I'm a John Deere man. I feel bad that I took these tractors because I know they needed them," he said. After he stole the first tractor, "it just kind of escalated." He said he considered driving the tractors back to their owners, but was afraid of getting caught.
Court records indicate Dieckman rode off with a 1973 John Deere Model 4400 in late April. Three weeks later, he took a 1992 Model 4250 from another farm. His third theft, two weeks later, was of a Model 4230.
The prosecution dismissed but read in felony charges of breaking into a shed and taking/driving a vehicle without consent.
Dieckman has already paid the court $2,000 toward his restitution, but still owes more than $20,000.
He had no criminal record until this case.
"He's got a reputation of staying clean and working hard," said defense attorney Peter Kind. "It's out of character with his previous record."
Prosecutor Gary Luhman echoed the defense and said Dieckman had been cooperative with the criminal investigation. Luhman's main concern was recouping money to the victims - who he pointed out got their tractors stolen exactly when they needed them most, during the spring field work.
Dieckman could have faced more than 10 years in prison if sentenced to the full extent of the law. Instead, Judge James Beer went with the prosecution's recommendation of jail time and probation.
"It would appear this is your first hiccup in life," Beer said.
Dieckman explained he stole the tractors during a difficult time in his life. He had recently lost his grandpa, he was going through a "rough spell" with his girlfriend and he had a "funny feeling that there was another layoff coming" where he was working, Orchid International.
"I was into gambling and into drinking for a while there," he said. When it got so bad that he wrecked his truck while drunk, he added, he quit drinking.
"I made some poor choices and now I got to pay for 'em," he said.