A LaPaz man has been sentenced to 25 years for burglary and being a habitual offender. Justin Haining, 28, was accused of stealing jewelry, an AR-15 rifle, almost 500 rounds of ammunition, and the homeowners’ vehicle, in a 2016 home burglary, according to the Marshall County Prosecutor’s Office.
The rifle and ammunition reportedly turned up when the St. Joseph County Drug Task Force executed a search warrant on a home in Lakeville. After interviewing the subjects of the search, a Marshall County Police detective determined that they bought the rifle from Haining.
The Prosecutor’s Office says Haining admitted to the burglary and to being a habitual criminal offender, as part of a plea agreement. In exchange, various other counts and pending cases were dismissed.
On Wednesday, Judge Robert O. Bowen of Marshall Superior Court No. 1 sentenced Haining to the maximum of 12 years in prison for the Level 4 felony of burglary and another 13 years for being a habitual offender, according to the Prosecutor’s Office. With good time credit, he would have to serve nearly 19 years, before he’d be eligible for release.
In a statement, Marshall County Prosecutor Nelson Chipman called Haining “a menace” and “a constant drain of societal resources” and said, “He needs to be locked away to no longer victimize the good people of our community”
