MONROE - A former City of Brodhead employee whose gambling addiction drove him to steal more than $10,000 in copper from a municipal storage facility was sentenced Monday, March 26 in Green County Circuit Court to eight months in jail.
Brett Ronald Sagen, 45, Orfordville, is being granted five years probation on the Class G felony conviction, on the conditions that he pay $11,557 in restitution and fees, continue attending Gamblers Anonymous and mental health counseling and not drink or gamble. He has already paid $3,000 in restitution.
The superintendent of Brodhead Water and Light told the judge Sagen's thefts, made over the course of more than a year, "really tore some of the intercity departments apart" and shriveled the level of trust among municipal workers.
Everybody used to trust everbody, Jeff Peterson said, but since the discovery of Sagen's thefts, "we do not anymore."
Sagen was employed with the City of Brodhead Parks and Recreation Department when the thefts occurred. He has prior theft and burglary convictions over the past 20 years, all related to a desperation for money fueled by compulsive gambling, according to District Attorney Gary Luhman.
Sagen has managed to keep his addiction under control for periods, Luhman said, but has repeatedly returned to crime after frittering away paychecks on bets until the only way left to stay afloat was thieving.
"They don't think rationally," he said of addicts.
Defense counsel Peter Kind urged for a sentence that takes into account the graveness of Sagen's addiction and his need to work full-time in order to pay back the substantial restitution. He also advocated for the use of a GPS tracking device to keep Sagen away from his weakness, tavern gambling machines.
Sagen doesn't drink, Kind said, but "he would take up an entire paycheck and feed it into the machine. Gambling is an addiction that many people don't want to recognize. An addiction is different than doing crimes for a malicious reason. This has to do with an illness."
Kind called Sagen's pastor and longtime family friend, David Kinnick, to speak as a character reference.
Kinnick urged the judge to show mercy. Sagen was on the upswing, he said, attending Gamblers Anonymous and in a strong relationship with his fiance, who "has given him a pull away from the power of addiction in his life."
Wiping tears away from his cheeks, Sagen apologized for the "pain, embarrassment and betrayal" he caused, and thanked his family, some of whom were sitting in the courtroom, for supporting him.
Judge Thomas Vale expressed his frustration with Sagen's repeat offenses.
"If you didn't learn before, what must I do to protect the public?" Vale demanded. "When we lose trust, we lose our community. If we didn't follow laws, our society would fall into chaos."
But in the end, Vale went with the district attorney's recommendation of jail time and probation, even though a Class G felony carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and $25,000 in fines.
He warned Sagen that any break from probation conditions would likely lead to imprisonment.
"This is a close call for this court. Mr. Sagen, it's up to you to make this work," he said.
Sagen's jail time begins on April 6, with work-release privileges. He told the court he's secured seasonal work with Nu Line Striping in Orfordville "until the snow flies."
Brett Ronald Sagen, 45, Orfordville, is being granted five years probation on the Class G felony conviction, on the conditions that he pay $11,557 in restitution and fees, continue attending Gamblers Anonymous and mental health counseling and not drink or gamble. He has already paid $3,000 in restitution.
The superintendent of Brodhead Water and Light told the judge Sagen's thefts, made over the course of more than a year, "really tore some of the intercity departments apart" and shriveled the level of trust among municipal workers.
Everybody used to trust everbody, Jeff Peterson said, but since the discovery of Sagen's thefts, "we do not anymore."
Sagen was employed with the City of Brodhead Parks and Recreation Department when the thefts occurred. He has prior theft and burglary convictions over the past 20 years, all related to a desperation for money fueled by compulsive gambling, according to District Attorney Gary Luhman.
Sagen has managed to keep his addiction under control for periods, Luhman said, but has repeatedly returned to crime after frittering away paychecks on bets until the only way left to stay afloat was thieving.
"They don't think rationally," he said of addicts.
Defense counsel Peter Kind urged for a sentence that takes into account the graveness of Sagen's addiction and his need to work full-time in order to pay back the substantial restitution. He also advocated for the use of a GPS tracking device to keep Sagen away from his weakness, tavern gambling machines.
Sagen doesn't drink, Kind said, but "he would take up an entire paycheck and feed it into the machine. Gambling is an addiction that many people don't want to recognize. An addiction is different than doing crimes for a malicious reason. This has to do with an illness."
Kind called Sagen's pastor and longtime family friend, David Kinnick, to speak as a character reference.
Kinnick urged the judge to show mercy. Sagen was on the upswing, he said, attending Gamblers Anonymous and in a strong relationship with his fiance, who "has given him a pull away from the power of addiction in his life."
Wiping tears away from his cheeks, Sagen apologized for the "pain, embarrassment and betrayal" he caused, and thanked his family, some of whom were sitting in the courtroom, for supporting him.
Judge Thomas Vale expressed his frustration with Sagen's repeat offenses.
"If you didn't learn before, what must I do to protect the public?" Vale demanded. "When we lose trust, we lose our community. If we didn't follow laws, our society would fall into chaos."
But in the end, Vale went with the district attorney's recommendation of jail time and probation, even though a Class G felony carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and $25,000 in fines.
He warned Sagen that any break from probation conditions would likely lead to imprisonment.
"This is a close call for this court. Mr. Sagen, it's up to you to make this work," he said.
Sagen's jail time begins on April 6, with work-release privileges. He told the court he's secured seasonal work with Nu Line Striping in Orfordville "until the snow flies."