Former Corrections Officer Gets Probation In Escape Case
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Amanda Bridgman-abridgman@timesuniononline.com
PLYMOUTH – Former Community Corrections officer Patrick Olson was sentenced to one year probation Thursday in Marshall County Superior Court I.
Olson, 26, of 207 Western Drive, Winona Lake, appeared in front of Special Marshall County Superior Court I Judge Robert Bowen Thursday and was convicted of aiding, inducing or causing escape, a Level 6 felony. A Level 5 felony charge of sexual misconduct by a service provider was dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
Olson told the judge about the work he did in Kosciusko County while working for the sheriff’s department and that included being assigned to a former police informant for Warsaw Police Department to “dig up dirt on a former sheriff.”
He also said he has never been in trouble with the law before beyond a mere speeding ticket eight years ago.
“My name and my reputation as a 26-year-old is important to me,” he said, adding that his name and reputation won’t be the same after everything that went on in Community Corrections.
Olson also told the judge he still wants to be a lawyer, but he doesn’t know if that’s still possible now.
“I ask you to hopefully close this chapter of my life. I haven’t been able to do that for the last two years,” he said. Olson said right now he’s employed and “runs a paint store.”
Special Prosecutor D.J. Sigler from Whitley County said he’s sorrowful for the people in Kosciusko County.
“They deserve better. The people count on people like Patrick Olson to keep them safe and keep their community’s best interests in mind,” Sigler said. “There’s a level of trust that, I think, is justifiable jaundice. Maybe it’s because of Mr. Olson, or others. I’m not here to cast judgment.”
Sigler told the judge he was planning on remaining silent during Thursday’s proceedings but changed his mind after reading Olson’s response filed in his Pre-Sentence Investigation report. Sigler said in the beginning stages of the investigation during the fact-finding, Olson admitted what he did.
“He said he did it, he said he intended to do it. Then he comes here and says, ‘I didn’t really do it,’” Sigler said.
He said he gets passionate about cases when defendants act like, “I want the benefit of the deal, but I don’t want to say I did anything wrong. What you did was wrong.”
Sigler told the judge Olson removed an ankle bracelet and wanted to know what the punishment for that would be.
“It should be a severe sanction, a jailable sanction, because the community trusted him,” Sigler said. “Was he a Patsy? I don’t know. He claims he had a lack of training. The very first rule of home detention is don’t take them off home detention! Don’t take her to your college homecoming, don’t get her a hotel room, don’t have a party!”
Sigler said there is no excuse for Olson’s conduct.
“He had a job to do, he failed to do it, and he intentionally did it,” Sigler said, adding that Olson’s actions also violated a court’s order by removing the woman’s ankle bracelet who was supposed to serve her prison sentence at her house.
“My recommendation is he serve one year in the Kosciusko County jail or on Kosciusko County work release,” Sigler said. “The bottom line is, your honor, when a public servant violates the public confidence, there has to be a consequence. I’m asking you to be the consequence.”
David Kolbe, Olson’s attorney, told the judge straight out that Olson is not approved for the work release program so if he decides that option then Olson will be jailed.
Kolbe said the Kosciusko County Probation Department recommended Olson’s sentence be suspended to probation.
Then Kolbe told the judge that between the judge’s years in the justice system and Kolbe’s time spent as an attorney, they both know there are three kinds of people.
“The first kind are those that just keep getting in trouble over and over again, and they don’t stop until they’re too tired or too old. The next kind, it doesn’t matter what you do to them. They need to be put in a concrete box with the key hidden away. And the third is what Patrick fits into. You’re never gonna see him again,” Kolbe said.
“He’s already prosecuted himself. He’s already taken responsibility.
“He was a 24-year-old young man who was thrown in over his head and thrown to the wolves as part of a political plot,” Kolbe said. “And he was somewhat thrown under the bus. That doesn’t excuse his conduct.”
Kolbe then referenced the 1992 movie “A Few Good Men” where two Marines are ordered to kill another person.
“Their superior ordered them to do it, and the Marines were put on trial,” Kolbe said. “They were booted out of the Army, dishonorably. That’s what happened here!?He was fired, he was dishonored. Put this case to rest with a suspended sentence.”
Kolbe then referenced the half-filled courtroom and told the judge the people were supporters of Olson, family, friends, employers.
“He was young. He was naive, and he made some bad decisions,” Kolbe said.
Sigler reminded the judge that in Olson’s PSI report, Olson himself wrote, “I had no criminal intent in anything I did.” Sigler also said that for someone who claims they want to be a lawyer, they ought to know that’s the entire point of a case.
“You were in a significant position of trust in Kosciusko County and that was violated,” Bowen told Olson. “There’s no excuse for that.”
Bowen acknowledged that Olson has no prior criminal record.
“I do think you owe something back to the community,” Bowen said.
Bowen sentenced Olson to one year in the Indiana Department of Corrections, all suspended to formal probation in Kosciusko County, and two days of jail time credit. Bowen also sentenced him to 160 hours of community service.
“The purpose of the community service is for you to put back something into the community,” Bowen said. “I don’t think jail would serve any purpose.”
Bowen then asked Olson, Kolbe and Sigler if there would be any problem with Olson serving his probation though the Kosciusko County department, specifically referencing potential favoritism concerns. All three said they don’t believe so, to which the judge said OK and he didn’t know “since there’s a special prosecutor, a special judge and in a different county.”
Upon Olson’s successful completion of his sentence, he will be able to petition the court to modify his felony conviction to a misdemeanor.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on Sept. 29, 2017, Olson removed a home detention ankle monitoring bracelet from a woman he was charged with supervising. He then took her to Valparaiso to attend the university’s homecoming celebrations, where they stayed two nights in a hotel room and had sex. Olson and the woman returned to Kosciusko County Oct. 1, 2017, and he put the ankle bracelet back on the woman.
The woman had been put on home detention on Aug. 4, 2017, and was not finished with her sentence until March 22, 2018.
On Oct. 17, 2017, Olson told Kosciusko Community Corrections Director Anna Bailey that he had feelings for the woman. Olson was immediately removed from his supervision detail and was told to have no further contact with her.
