By Shereen Siewert
A Marshfield man charged after a former girlfriend reported he threatened her life, fired gunshots and threw explosives at her home will not spend time in prison because his sentence issued Wednesday was less than the time he served in jail while awaiting trial, court records show.
Corey Machtan, 50, was formally charged Nov. 12, 2019 in Marathon County Circuit Court with possessing explosives for unlawful purposes, fleeing an officer, strangulation/suffocation, making terrorist threats, battery, threatening harm or injury via computer message, and criminal trespassing.
According to the police report police responded just after noon on Nov. 1 to County Road P in the town of Eau Pleine regarding threatening text messages and an explosive that had been thrown at the home. The reporting party told police Machtan had made death threats, and the Marathon County Bomb Squad was dispatched to handle the suspected explosive.
Police say Machtan was upset that his former girlfriend was spending time with someone else, and threatened the life of his former girlfriend, her friend, and her friend’s mother, sending 61 test messages in an eight-hour span leading up to the incident. The threatening behavior allegedly began about a week prior, according to the police report.
Investigators have screen shots that contain messages such as “You better run and hide cause I’m coming” and “All fun and games until (name redacted) is dead.” The woman also told police Machtan previously attacked her and tried to strangle her, and had been seen sitting at the end of the driveway watching the home, sometimes shooting his gun near the house, the police report states.
Police say the relationship ended five months prior.
In a previously reported incident the suspect allegedly threw a possible improvised explosive device at a home which also prompted a response from the Marathon County Bomb Squad, according to court filings.
On Wednesday, Machtan appeared for a hearing where 12 of the 15 charges filed against him in the case were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. He was convicted of possessing explosives for an unlawful purpose, strangulation and suffocation as well as possession of amphetamine with intent to deliver. He was also convicted Tuesday of narcotic drug possession in a separate case, court records show.
Circuit Judge Greg Strasser sentenced Machtan to 1 1/2 years in prison – but allowed 588 days credit for time already served. Machtan will be under supervision by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections for 3 1/2 years and will be required to participate in the SAFE program.
