Dustin Michael Boardman

WARSAW — A South Whitley man will serve more than a year in jail after stalking a woman.

In the first case, Dustin Michael Boardman, 35, 305 W. Collamer Road, South Whitley, was charged with stalking, a level 5 felony. In the second case, Boardman was charged with battery, a class B misdemeanor. Boardman was also charged with failure to appear in December 2016 and was sentenced on that charge. A fourth case involving stalking and invasion of privacy was dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Boardman was sentenced in all of these cases in Kosciusko County Superior Court 3 on Wednesday, Jan. 29.

On July 31, 2016, a Winona Lake police officer met with a woman, who said Boardman had been sending her threatening messages. According to court documents, the woman told the officer she no longer wanted to communicate with Boardman but that he drives around her residence and waits for her at her place of work in attempts to talk with her.

On Aug. 3, 2016, the woman obtained a protective order against Boardman in Kosciusko County Superior Court 3. The protective order prohibited Boardman from contacting or communicating with the woman in any way. Boardman was served the protective order on Sept. 1, 2016.

Ten days later, a Winona Lake police officer investigated the apparent violation of that protective order. The woman told police that Boardman came to her residence and tried to speak with her. The woman’s boyfriend went to the residence and found Boardman standing inside the enclosed porch, attempting to speak with the woman. According to court documents, the woman went outside to see what was going on. Boardman then put his arm around her and began talking to her. While the woman’s boyfriend attempted to get the woman back inside the residence, Boardman raised his arm and pushed the boyfriend away with his forearm.

On Sept. 15, 2016, a Warsaw Police officer responded to another protective order violation involving the woman and Boardman. The woman was at Cardinal Services when she observed Boardman outside of the facility.

In court, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Joseph Sobek read a victim statement from the woman in these cases.

“I no longer am afraid to speak out about his actions,” read the statement. “Over the last four years, he (Boardman) has made me lose my sense of security and has ruined relationships. He has caused me great grief and pain that is absolutely not necessary. No one should have to live in fear and have to be attacked in such a way.”

Sobek also requested a no-contact order continue to be established between Boardman and the woman.

Defense attorney Sarah Ober asked Superior Court 3 Judge Joe Sutton if a small claims judgment case Boardman has against the woman would be affected by the no-contact order. Sutton said Boardman would be able to handle the small claims case without having contact with the victim.

For stalking, Sutton sentenced Boardman to three years in the Kosciusko County Jail, with two years suspended pending good behavior. For failure to appear, Boardman was sentenced to six months in the KCJ. In regards to battery, Boardman will serve four months at KCJ. All of the sentences will be served consecutively. A no-contact order was also established. Boardman is to have no contact with both the woman and man involved in these cases.