Vanderburgh County Superior Court Judge Wayne Trockman sentenced Nalakeio Bennett to 40 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections this afternoon. Bennett marks the fourth and final defendant to be sentenced following a February 2012 Home invasion. In August of 2013, Bennett was involved in two days of a jury trial before asking Prosecutors to accept a guilty verdict from him. The trial was halted as terms were negotiated. Bennett pleaded guilty to Burglary Resulting in Bodily Injury – A Felony, Criminal Confinement – B Felony, and Theft – D Felony. He will receive 20 years from those charges.
Bennett also accepted a Criminal Gang Enhancement which will give him another 20 years, bringing his final sentence to 40 years within the Indiana Department of Corrections. Per his deal, Bennett also agreed to truthfully testify against his co-defendants should their case reach a jury trial.
Note: None of the other defendants opted for a jury trial on their felony charges following Bennett’s plea.
For further information on the case listed above, or any pending case, please contact Kyle Phernetton, Director of Public Relations at 812.435.5688 or via e-mail at kphernetton@vanderburghgov.org.
Under Indiana law, all criminal defendants are considered to be innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
