Bryant

Chad Matthew Bryant’s head and shoulders bowed slowly as District Court Judge John Haney gave his decision at a probation revocation hearing early Monday afternoon.

Bryant, 29, had his probation revoked and, for crimes charged against him in Marshall County, he received a 67-year sentence Monday. He is to be taken to the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Oakdale.

“You know what you have to do on probation, you knew exactly what you needed to do,” Haney said.

The defense had earlier argued that Bryant had successfully completed certain phases the Bridges of Iowa treatment program in Des Moines while on probation. After finding work, Bryant said he had a misunderstanding with management over pay, and subsequently found himself out of a job. The defense said no drugs or criminal activity was involved in the loss of the job.

“You had a chance to do the right thing as soon as you got fired, you got the chance to do the right thing every time you checked out of the facility at Bridges,” Haney said.

Bryant said he then tried and failed to contact his probation officer, Rick Day of the Department of Correctional Services. However, he never turned himself in after losing his job and walking away from court-ordered probation, according to his own admission. He also failed to turn himself in to authorities when a warrant for his arrest was released.

Bryant said he didn’t turn himself in out of fear, and law enforcement’s search for him ended in December 2016 in Dubuque, where Marshalltown Police Detective Sadie Weekley said he was “hiding” in the basement of a family member’s house when U.S. Marshals arrested him.

“You made them go find you, they searched all over for you,” Haney said. “They had to call in the U.S. Marshals and they find you in Dubuque, that wasn’t where you were supposed to be.”

Law enforcement had also searched for Bryant at residences in State Center, Marshalltown and West Des Moines before finally apprehending him in Dubuque.

Haney said he had made clear the state’s expectations for Bryant before this most recent probation violation took place.

“I told you exactly what needed to happen 2 months before you made this series of bad decisions,” he said. “That opportunity was one where you asked for another chance, and you had previously asked for other chances.”

Bryant said he recognized that he had made mistakes, and said he accepted all blame for the situation that led to Monday’s hearing.

“I understand that I’ve had opportunities and chances, and I understand that I messed up,” he said.

The series of events involving Bryant’s probation violation late last year comes after a widely-publicized saga which began when Bryant ran from the Law in April 2015 after he assaulted a Des Moines television station cameraman by pouring water on his head outside of his Le Grand residence.

In subsequent searches, law enforcement found weapons, stolen property and drug paraphernalia.

Then, in July 2015, Bryant was apprehended for an incident involving a stolen car at a dealership in Ames. The 67-year sentence does not involve the charges filed in Story County, and only concerns charges for crimes committed in Marshall County.

After Bryant had been given several chances, Haney said his decision came, in part, from wanting to deter Bryant from continued criminal activity, and to deter others from breaking the law. He also said the safety of the public also weighed into the decision.

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Contact Adam Sodders at (641) 753-6611 or asodders@timesrepublican.com