An Ohio man with 39 felony convictions was sentenced to six years in prison Wednesday for theft and attempted theft.
Lake Superior Court Judge Samuel Cappas imposed the sentence on Harvey Stephens, 60, of Cleveland, who skipped his sentencing hearing in 2002 and was sentenced in absentia by Cappas’ predecessor, Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr.
In court Wednesday, deputy prosecutor Mark Watson argued that Stephens deserved the maximum three-year sentence on each of the charges and asked the judge to impose consecutive sentences.
“Mr. Stephens’ criminal history is really ridiculous,” Watson said, noting the defendant has 39 felony convictions, including six he accrued following his convictions in Lake County.
The online docket shows Stephens was incarcerated in at least three prisons in Ohio before he returned to Lake County. He also has done time in New Jersey.
Defense attorney Robert Varga argued that the judge should only take into account Stephens’ criminal record prior to the 2002 conviction. Varga also noted that under the current Indiana criminal code, Stephens would be facing two misdemeanor charges, not two felonies.
Stephens admitted in court on Jan. 17, 2002, that he stole money from a cash register on April 2, 2001, from Walmart in Hobart and that he tried to steal cash the same day from Target in Hobart by opening the register.
“It’s my fault for catching the case, I understand,” Stephens said after apologizing and asking the judge to impose concurrent sentences. “A lot of stuff was simple little forgeries that turned into a whole lot of stuff,” he said of his lengthy criminal record. “It’s just petty stuff.”
Stephens said he plans to appeal.
Ruth Ann Krause is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.