GREEN RIVER — A 32-year-old Rock Springs man could be facing at least three years in the Wyoming State Penitentiary on strangulation charges stemming from an incident back in March.
Ron Halstead changed his plea to no contest on one felony count of strangulation of a household member and one misdemeanor count of domestic violence today in Third District Court. He was also charged with a second domestic battery count that will be considered at the time of his official sentencing.
Halstead originally plead not guilty to his charges during his arraignment back in July. He has also signed a plea agreement on a felony charge in Campbell County where he’s facing a 5-12 year sentence, according to his attorney Charlie Barnum. The Sweetwater County plea agreement is asking for a 3-5 year sentence in Rawlins.
The presentence investigation will likely be used for both the Campbell and Sweetwater County cases, and he’s scheduled to be sentenced in Campbell County in January. All of the sentences will run concurrently in accordance with the plea agreement, according to Barnum.
Court records show that both the felony and misdemeanors occurred between Halstead and a woman in Rock Springs on March 29 of this year.
At this time the plea agreement is not calling for any financial restitution in the case. Halstead’s official sentence will not be determined until the courts in both Sweetwater and Campbell County have a chance to review the presentence investigation and the Campbell County case is settled.
The maximum sentence for strangulation of a household member is 10 years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both.
