LAKEPORT — A man who was sought by police after not showing up for his sentencing after presenting guilty pleas to burglary and sexual battery charges was presented with an additional charge Tuesday morning.
Douglas Scott Rupert, 40, who turned himself in roughly a day after the Clearlake Police Department (CPD) asked the public for help in his apprehension through local media outlets, had a new charge presented against him stemming from his alleged failure to appear in court for his sentence hearing on Jan. 27.
Rupert, who had reached a deal with the prosecution before he pleaded guilty, was likely to be sentenced to serve six months in jail, but Deputy District Attorney Sharon Lerman-Hubert entered a waiver that states that Rupert”s alleged failure to show up for sentencing voids the previously reached deal.
Now, Rupert faces a maximum sentence of six years for the charges he pleaded to. The prosecution will be seeking the maximum sentence, Lerman-Hubert said. In addition to the six years, the added charge could represent eight more months in jail for Rupert.
Rupert”s initial charges of felony burglary and misdemeanor sexual battery stem from a CPD investigation last year.
He turned himself in to the authorities on Feb. 28 after seeing his picture in a newspaper, his attorney Mitchell Hauptman said.
Prior to his surrender, CPD investigators stated they had received information that Rupert had no intention of letting himself be apprehended.
Lerman-Hubert said that, at one point, Rupert taunted the authorities via a social media outlet.
Rupert is scheduled to appear in court March 18 for resetting for his sentence hearing.
He is in custody at the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Isaac Brambila is an associate editor for Lake County Publishing. Reach him at 263-5636 ext. 37 or at ibrambila@record-bee.com.
