By Shereen Siewert
A Wausau man who faced more than a dozen charges after a downtown church was vandalized in May will spend four years on probation, part of a withheld sentence issued last week.
Police say Adam Dupleasis, 39, used a fire extinguisher to damage property at the First Universalist Unitarian Church in Wausau, including the church’s organ and thermostat. Police say he fled the building before officers arrived, but surveillance footage connected him to the crime.
Dupleasis was arrested about six hours after the break-in. Officials say the suspect allegedly threw a brick through a glass door to get inside, triggering an alarm and the police response, which lasted several hours.
During a Nov. 11 plea hearing, Circuit Judge Suzanne O’Neill agreed to dismiss 11 of the 13 charges in the church vandalism case, but found Dupleasis guilty of burglary and possession of methamphetamine. Dupleasis was also convicted of battery and two counts of criminal damage to property in two additional cases.
A withheld sentence happens when a person is placed on probation and no sentence is assessed. If probation is revoked, Dupleasis still faces the same maximum penalty for the charges he pleaded guilty to.
O’Neill also ordered Dupleasis to pay $1,000 in restitution to First Unitarian Universalist Church and $299.60 to RMM Solutions, plus a 10 percent surcharge, according to online court records. He was also ordered to undergo anger management classes or counseling.
