A 30-year-old Kentucky man was sentenced to four years in Lake County Community Corrections after committing a burglary at a Highland home.

Ivan Wiedemann was charged with burglary of a dwelling, theft of property between $750 and $50,000, and criminal mischief damage between $750 and $50,000, according to court records.

In court Tuesday, Wiedemann apologized for his actions, stating there was “no excuse” for what he did. His attorney Russell Brown said Wiedemann moved to Kentucky for a “fresh start.”

Lake County Deputy Prosecutor Veronica Gonzalez said Wiedemann has two jobs and a child. He has one past felony and two misdemeanors, she said.

On Sept. 30, 2019, Susan Shaps came home from work to find that someone had broken into her home through the rear southeast door or window. Inside, she found that the living room and bedrooms had been ransacked, with desk and dresser drawers left open, with random items tossed around the room and miscellaneous pieces of jewelry on the floor, according to court records.

Herb Shaps, an attorney, testified in court Tuesday that he was in Hobart City Court when his wife called for help. Shaps said he was thankful no artwork was stolen, and that their sick dog wasn’t harmed.

Susan Shaps said it was likely that the person broke in between 2:15 p.m. and 5:15 p.m., because that’s when she left her home for lunch and then returned home for work to find the ransacked house, according to court records.

Two neighbors said they saw two men — one of whom was Wiedemann — cutting grass outside the house between 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., according to court records.

As the homeowners cleaned the house, they found stains of blood on a T-shirt inside a dresser drawer and on a bedspread in the guest bedroom. A DNA analysis revealed it was Wiedemann’s blood, according to court records.

When police contacted Wiedemann, he hung up on the officer when he learned what the police were investigating. When police interviewed his coworker, the coworker said Wiedemann never mentioned breaking into the home, but that it was common for them to cut separate lawns to divide and conquer the work, according to court records.

The homeowners did an inventory of their items and found that Wiedemann took a necklace, two earrings, and metal frame sunglasses, all valued at $130. He also took watches, bracelets, sunglasses and a special edition Syracuse University alumni ring, which totaled $3,100, according to court records.

They also had to pay $2,900 to replace the broken door, according to court records.

akukulka@post-trib.com