On May 16, 2013, JOHN H. HAWK, d/o/b 01-26-1978, of Hollister, appeared in the Circuit Court of Taney County and entered pleas to the felonies of burglary in the first degree and domestic assault in the second degree. Circuit Court Judge Mark Orr sentenced Hawk to fifteen (15) years in prison for the burglary and ten (10) years for domestic assault. The sentences are concurrent to each other and pursuant to a plea agreement with the Taney County Prosecutor’s Office.

The charges arose out of incidents occurring in Hollister on February 26 and 27, 2013. On the 26th, Hawk assaulted a gentlemen that he shared a home with, striking him several times in the face with his fist, then exhibiting a knife toward other household members. Hawk fled the area before police could arrive. Then, on the 27th, Hawk broke into a home in Hollister with the intent to steal items while the homeowners were present and sleeping.

Burglary in the first degree is a class B felony, which carries a range of punishment of five (5) to fifteen (15) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. Ordinarily, domestic assault in the second degree is a class C felony, which carries between two (2) and seven (7) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections, however, Hawk was charged as a prior and persistent felony offender, which enhances the maximum punishment to that of a class B felony.