Orange City, Iowa — A felony escape charge against a man who escaped from the Iowa Department of Corrections Residential Treatment Facility in Sheldon has been amended to a sub-felony charge, to which he has agreed to pled guilty.
According to Sioux County Jail records, 25-year-old Eric James Spratt of Alta turned himself in to the Storm Lake Police on Tuesday, March 21st. He was taken to the Buena Vista County Jail and was returned to Sioux County that week, where at last report he remained in lieu of $5000 cash or surety bond.
Sioux County Chief Deputy Nate Huizenga says that Spratt absconded from the Sheldon RTF in June of 2016. According to Iowa Department of Corrections records, Spratt was serving a sentence for 3rd Degree Burglary out of Buena Vista County.
According to Sioux County Attorney Thomas Kunstle, while Spratt was originally charged with a felony count of Escape From Custody, after further review of the circumstances of the case, Kunstle decided that a serious misdemeanor charge of Absence From Custody was more appropriate in this case, and Spratt has agreed to plead guilty to the charge.
Kunstle says the penalty is fifteen days in jail with credit for time served. Spratt will also face the remainder of his original burglary sentence.
