BRAZIL – Brazil Fire Chief John ‘Jake’ Bennett has pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges following his arrest in early January for driving while intoxicated.
According to Rob Roberts, the special prosecutor from Vigo County handling the case, Bennett entered a plea agreement on Friday. The charges stem from an incident on January 7, where Bennett was involved in a crash with a parked vehicle and left the scene without notifying the owner.
Initially, Bennett faced three misdemeanor charges: two related to driving while intoxicated and one for leaving the scene of an accident. Under the plea agreement, he admitted guilt to leaving the scene of an accident and an amended charge of reckless driving. The other two original charges were dismissed.
Police records from January indicate that Bennett exhibited poor balance and smelled of alcohol at the time of the incident. His blood alcohol content (BAC) was recorded at 0.143.
The terms of the plea agreement include:
- A 180-day jail sentence, suspended to six months of informal probation
- Providing proof of insurance restitution
- Serving 40 hours of community service
Bennett has already undergone alcohol treatment and will continue with grief counseling.
The prosecutor’s office noted that Bennett’s family recently lost their son in a crash, which they believe was likely a “contributing factor in both the mindset and circumstances that led to this incident.” They also acknowledged Bennett’s years of service to the community as fire chief and his previously law-abiding life.
