Hartland man sentenced in arson, domestic assault cases

Published 3:20 pm Monday, June 19, 2023

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A Hartland man was sentenced Friday to five years of probation and a stayed prison sentence, along with almost $75,000 in restitution, after pleading guilty to second-degree arson of a barn in Hartland in 2022.

Jeremy Posey entered the plea in March to one count of second-degree arson and one count of domestic assault in a separate case as part of a plea agreement. The plea was classified as Norgaard plea, in which a defendant recognizes he does not remember the circumstances of the offenses but recognizes that there is sufficient evidence for him to be convicted. Other charges were dismissed.

Court documents state in the arson case Posey was charged with physically assaulting a woman and then later starting a barn on fire. After he lit the fire, he told deputies he went into the house and watched the fire for a bit and then got into a Buick Enclave and drove it into the barn. Authorities found the burned vehicle inside the damaged barn, and a fire investigator determined the fire was started as an arson.

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In the other case, Posey and a woman were putting in new flooring when Posey reportedly got angry at her, chased her into the living room and then pushed her down to the floor, where she struck her head. He reportedly grabbed her head and started to squeeze it and twisted her neck. She stated he was sitting on top of her chest and squeezing his arm around her head and that it was difficult to breathe.

In the arson case, Judge Christy Hormann sentenced Posey to a stayed sentence of 23 months. He will be on probation for five years. He was also sentenced to 26 days in jail, with credit for all of those days served.

He must pay about $74,975 in restitution, plus $130 in fines.

In the other case, Hormann sentenced Posey to a stayed sentence of 12 months and 1 day in prison, three years of probation and a $130 fine.

He also must follow a series of conditions.