DARLINGTON - A rural Darlington man was sentenced to 60 days in jail and four years on probation Wednesday in Lafayette County Circuit Court for pointing a shotgun at a neighbor's employee.
Kevin S. Bahe, 52, pleaded no contest to a Class G felony charge of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and a Class A misdemeanor charge of intentionally pointing a firearm at a person. A felony charge of first-degree recklessly endangering safety and a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct were dismissed as part of a plea deal.
The joint plea agreement recommended 45 days in jail and three years of probation. Judges are not required to follow these recommendations, and Judge Duane Jorgenson ultimately added 15 days in jail and another year on probation in sentencing Bahe.
Conditions of Bahe's probation include paying the court $352 and undergoing an assessment for drug- or alcohol-abuse and following all treatment recommendations. He's also ordered not to drink or go into bars or liquor stores or consume non-prescription controlled substances or any prescription medication for which he does not have a prescription.
The case stems from a confrontation Bahe had with an employee from a neighboring farm on Furnace Hill Road, Town of Willow Springs, on Jan. 6, 2017, according to court documents.
Around midnight, Bahe told police he observed a vehicle with a loud exhaust pipe back into his driveway, spin its tires and then speed off. Bahe believed the driver of the vehicle to be an employee from a neighboring farm.
Later that morning, the same employee was driving a tractor past Bahe's home when Bahe came out of his home and made a vulgar gesture at him. The employee stopped and confronted Bahe. Bahe went back into his home, grabbed a 12-gauge Remington shotgun, reemerged and pointed it at the employee.
Bahe later told a deputy the shotgun was not loaded but the magazine was full. However, when deputies took possession of the gun, they found two shotgun slugs in the magazine and one live slug in the chamber.
As a result of the incident, several people associated with the neighboring farm took out restraining orders against Bahe.
One of the farm's owners told the court Wednesday his employees are nervous and fearful of Bahe. He said he has been having trouble retaining farm help due to ongoing harassment and hostility from Bahe.
Bahe was ready to take the case to trial this week but changed his mind at the last minute and agreed to a plea deal.
District Attorney Jenna Gill recently discovered new information that added a new charge to the case. In 1991, Bahe was convicted of a felony in Polk County, Iowa, for possessing a controlled substance with intent to deliver. She amended the criminal complaint in the current Lafayette County case to charge Bahe with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
In a separate case heard Wednesday, Bahe pleaded no contest to possessing a controlled substance (marijuana), downgraded from a criminal offense to a forfeiture. He was fined $389.50.
Kevin S. Bahe, 52, pleaded no contest to a Class G felony charge of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and a Class A misdemeanor charge of intentionally pointing a firearm at a person. A felony charge of first-degree recklessly endangering safety and a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct were dismissed as part of a plea deal.
The joint plea agreement recommended 45 days in jail and three years of probation. Judges are not required to follow these recommendations, and Judge Duane Jorgenson ultimately added 15 days in jail and another year on probation in sentencing Bahe.
Conditions of Bahe's probation include paying the court $352 and undergoing an assessment for drug- or alcohol-abuse and following all treatment recommendations. He's also ordered not to drink or go into bars or liquor stores or consume non-prescription controlled substances or any prescription medication for which he does not have a prescription.
The case stems from a confrontation Bahe had with an employee from a neighboring farm on Furnace Hill Road, Town of Willow Springs, on Jan. 6, 2017, according to court documents.
Around midnight, Bahe told police he observed a vehicle with a loud exhaust pipe back into his driveway, spin its tires and then speed off. Bahe believed the driver of the vehicle to be an employee from a neighboring farm.
Later that morning, the same employee was driving a tractor past Bahe's home when Bahe came out of his home and made a vulgar gesture at him. The employee stopped and confronted Bahe. Bahe went back into his home, grabbed a 12-gauge Remington shotgun, reemerged and pointed it at the employee.
Bahe later told a deputy the shotgun was not loaded but the magazine was full. However, when deputies took possession of the gun, they found two shotgun slugs in the magazine and one live slug in the chamber.
As a result of the incident, several people associated with the neighboring farm took out restraining orders against Bahe.
One of the farm's owners told the court Wednesday his employees are nervous and fearful of Bahe. He said he has been having trouble retaining farm help due to ongoing harassment and hostility from Bahe.
Bahe was ready to take the case to trial this week but changed his mind at the last minute and agreed to a plea deal.
District Attorney Jenna Gill recently discovered new information that added a new charge to the case. In 1991, Bahe was convicted of a felony in Polk County, Iowa, for possessing a controlled substance with intent to deliver. She amended the criminal complaint in the current Lafayette County case to charge Bahe with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
In a separate case heard Wednesday, Bahe pleaded no contest to possessing a controlled substance (marijuana), downgraded from a criminal offense to a forfeiture. He was fined $389.50.