A Lake County parole violation will hold a Center Township man accused of allegedly working a second unlawful puppy mill in Jasper County in jail for about 200 extra days.
Magistrate Judge Mark Watson Wednesday discovered Stevce Rajcinoski of Center Township violated the phrases of his parole from his June 2020 conviction for failing to register as a industrial breeder, torturing or mutilating a vertebrate animal and cruelty to an animal, all associated to an unlawful canine breeding operation found in 2017 after a raid at his home. Under the phrases, Rajcinoski was prohibited from having greater than two animals in his possession.
In the wake of the raid, Rajcinoski was charged with 11 counts of felony animal mutilation and 72 counts of animal neglect. He finally pleaded responsible to a few of the fees and the remainder have been dismissed. He was sentenced to at least one 12 months in jail on every depend to be served consecutively with 1,094 days suspended and in the future of time served earlier than being positioned on parole.
Rajcinoski has been in jail since a May 2023 raid of his Center Township home and a pole barn on a property he owns in Rensselaer in Jasper County. Investigators found a brand new alleged puppy mill operation and a complete of 41 dogs.
Watson stated the fees pending towards Rajcinoski in Jasper County Superior Court had no bearing on his Wednesday choice to revoke parole. He additionally stated any admission the defendant made concerning his possession of the dogs wouldn’t additional incriminate him in Jasper County.
He additional stated the protection’s argument a clerical error entered into the courtroom docket June 2, 2020 itemizing the sentence as one 12 months as an alternative of three years was an apparent clerical error
“It is very clear to me you were sentenced to three consecutive one-year sentences for a total of three years of probation,” Watson stated, including Rajcinoski signed the plea deal so he was additionally conscious of the phrases.
The essential problem is the disregard for the courtroom order, he stated. As a part of his probation settlement, Rajcinoksi agreed to not possess greater than dogs.
Watson stated Rajcinoski “willfully violated the court’s order by having more than two canines. Not only did you possess more, it was significantly more… And it seems that you took steps to conceal that,” Watson stated.
“In other words, you tried to evade the court’s order,” he continued.
Watson stated he was returning Rajcinoski to the Lake County Jail to serve out the rest of his jail time period. Once he’s launched from jail, he should instantly report back to probation to serve his probation. Rajcinoski will obtain credit score for 133 days time served.
In Jasper County, Rajcinoski is charged with 41 counts of animal cruelty, all Level 6 felonies, and one depend every of training veterinary medication with no license and failing to register as a industrial breeder, each misdemeanors. During the raid, detectives found one mountain canine, seven American bullies, 29 French bulldogs, three lifeless puppies and one decomposed canine in a retention pond, in response to courtroom paperwork.
A pretrial convention in that case is scheduled Nov. 20 in Jasper Superior Court.
