A Lake Station man was sentenced to one year on probation Tuesday for stopping a woman from calling 911.
Benjamin Boylan, 34, pleaded guilty to interference with reporting of a crime, a Class A misdemeanor. He will also have to take anger management classes.
Judge Salvador Vasquez asked how a mid-level felony case was pleaded down to a misdemeanor. The attempted rape case Boylan originally faced collapsed, lawyers said.
The woman called his office and “recanted” any sex crimes accusations, Boylan’s lawyer Sean Mullins said.
There were also “evidentiary issues” on some of the lower charges, the lawyer added.
Boylan still had another unconnected case for confinement. Court records showed prosecutors filed to dismiss it Tuesday.
Documents filed with the plea deal show Boylan admitted he and the woman got into an “altercation” on Sept. 29, 2022, and he stopped her from calling authorities.
The original charging affidavit alleges Lake Station Police responded at 7:40 a.m. to their home.
The woman said they were arguing over money before it turned physical. She tried to record it but he grabbed her cell phone and smashed it on the ground.
“You aren’t going to call the police,” he said.
He dragged her by her hair to the living room and then started choking her. He let go when she couldn’t breathe or speak.
A short time later, the affidavit alleges he grabbed her hair, bent her over a sofa and tried to sexually assault her. He stopped, then showed concern for her injuries. She “minimized the situation” and told him to go to work.
The woman downloaded an app on a tablet to call the cops.
Responded police officers noted she had a broken blood vessel in one eye, a big bruise on her neck, redness on her face, bruises on her arms, and a scrape on her leg. She also said at the time her ribs hurt.
Deputy Prosecutor Tara Villarreal was assigned.
Boylan was originally charged with Level 3 felony attempted rape, Level 5 felony criminal confinement, Level 6 felony criminal confinement, Level 6 felony sexual battery, Level 6 felony strangulation, Level 6 felony domestic battery, and Class A misdemeanor domestic battery.
Those charges were dropped in exchange for his guilty plea.
mcolias@post-trib.com
