DARLINGTON - A Darlington man was sentenced to four years in prison after he pleaded guilty Wednesday in Lafayette County Circuit Court to a felony burglary charge for his role in a residential burglary in the Town of Fayette in January.
Mark A. Ubersox, 33, will serve two years of initial confinement, followed by two years of extended supervision.
Ubersox, who was being held in the Lafayette County jail and appeared in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit, had two misdemeanor charges of theft and trespassing dismissed but "read in," meaning a judge may consider them during sentencing.
Jonas Bednarek, Uber-sox's attorney, said his client has a serious drug problem and needs to spend time behind bars because he'll have access to the rehabilitation services he needs.
Ubersox "engages in crimes of opportunity to fuel his drug habit," said Bednarek, adding that Ubersox has remarked privately that if he was allowed to go free today, he'd immediately go back to using drugs.
Ubersox could be heard weeping as Bednarek discussed his struggles with opiate addiction.
The burglary conviction stems from a Jan. 14 incident in which Ubersox and two other men broke into a residence on County F and stole jewelry before unsuccessfully trying to outrun police, according to court documents.
Ubersox and Joseph A. White, 26, Dodgeville, and Steven T. Wiegel, 25, Darlington, were traveling from Mount Horeb to Darlington on a job to install doors. White told investigators that on the way, Ubersox said he needed to stop somewhere to "get a lick," a term for committing a burglary. Ubersox told them he knew there was a pistol in the residence's garage, Wiegel later said in a statement to police.
The burglary was reported by a relative who happened to be driving past at the time and knew the residents weren't home. He noticed a car he didn't recognize in the driveway and when he drove up to take a closer look, he saw two men leaving the residence - one on foot, the other in a pickup truck - and called 911.
Court records indicate that when police arrived, none of the three suspects were in or around the home. Police tracked fresh footprints in the snow to a nearby residence, where officers found and arrested Wiegel and White.
Later in the day, the residents of the burglarized house returned home to determine what items had been taken. Three pieces of jewelry were missing, including a gold chain valued at $2,500.
They also discovered a clipboard in the garage they didn't recognize. It had numerous receipts for items purchased by Ubersox, who had driven away in the truck. They called police, who arrested and jailed Ubersox Jan. 29.
Ubersox is ordered to pay restitution to the residents and to State Farm Insurance.
The burglary cases against Wiegel and White are still pending. Wiegel pleaded not guilty in January and has a status conference June 17. White has a plea and sentencing hearing the same day.
Mark A. Ubersox, 33, will serve two years of initial confinement, followed by two years of extended supervision.
Ubersox, who was being held in the Lafayette County jail and appeared in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit, had two misdemeanor charges of theft and trespassing dismissed but "read in," meaning a judge may consider them during sentencing.
Jonas Bednarek, Uber-sox's attorney, said his client has a serious drug problem and needs to spend time behind bars because he'll have access to the rehabilitation services he needs.
Ubersox "engages in crimes of opportunity to fuel his drug habit," said Bednarek, adding that Ubersox has remarked privately that if he was allowed to go free today, he'd immediately go back to using drugs.
Ubersox could be heard weeping as Bednarek discussed his struggles with opiate addiction.
The burglary conviction stems from a Jan. 14 incident in which Ubersox and two other men broke into a residence on County F and stole jewelry before unsuccessfully trying to outrun police, according to court documents.
Ubersox and Joseph A. White, 26, Dodgeville, and Steven T. Wiegel, 25, Darlington, were traveling from Mount Horeb to Darlington on a job to install doors. White told investigators that on the way, Ubersox said he needed to stop somewhere to "get a lick," a term for committing a burglary. Ubersox told them he knew there was a pistol in the residence's garage, Wiegel later said in a statement to police.
The burglary was reported by a relative who happened to be driving past at the time and knew the residents weren't home. He noticed a car he didn't recognize in the driveway and when he drove up to take a closer look, he saw two men leaving the residence - one on foot, the other in a pickup truck - and called 911.
Court records indicate that when police arrived, none of the three suspects were in or around the home. Police tracked fresh footprints in the snow to a nearby residence, where officers found and arrested Wiegel and White.
Later in the day, the residents of the burglarized house returned home to determine what items had been taken. Three pieces of jewelry were missing, including a gold chain valued at $2,500.
They also discovered a clipboard in the garage they didn't recognize. It had numerous receipts for items purchased by Ubersox, who had driven away in the truck. They called police, who arrested and jailed Ubersox Jan. 29.
Ubersox is ordered to pay restitution to the residents and to State Farm Insurance.
The burglary cases against Wiegel and White are still pending. Wiegel pleaded not guilty in January and has a status conference June 17. White has a plea and sentencing hearing the same day.