Kenneth Neilsen, age 29, formerly of Thornton was sentenced to serve up to two years in prison after violating probation in Cerro Gordo County District Court on Tuesday.
Neilsen had been in Beje Clark’s residential treatment program from November 2011 until January 21st when Mason City Police responded to a report of Nielson assaulting a local citizen. As a result Nielson was charged with a serious misdemeanor count of assault causing bodily injury. Court records show through a voluntary negotiated guilty plea the original charge was amended to simple misdemeanor assault.
Neilsen was able to avoid the minimum one year prison term upon convicted on November 23rd, 2011 in Cerro Gordo County Court through a “voluntary negotiated guilty plea”, also known as a plea bargain, after pleading guilty a 2nd time to domestic abuse assault – 2nd offense. After being convicted Neilsen was sentenced to serve 180 days at Beje Clark, two years on probation, and received a two year suspended prison sentence.
On Tuesday, March 20th, District Associate Judge Gregg Rosenbladt found Neilsen guilty of violating his terms of probation in the domestic assault case within the first two months because of the new assault conviction. Judge Rosenbladt then reversed the suspended two year prison sentence handed down by District Court Judge Colleen D. Weiland last November.
Kenneth Neilsen is currently in the custody of the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department awaiting transport to prison.
