A 38-year-old rural Odin man who was sentenced in absentia in April is in custody after being arrested in Saline County.
Dustin Meseke of Farthing Road had been sentenced to four and a half years in prison after failing to appear for his sentencing hearing on a vehicle burglary case. He had entered a negotiated plea to the charge after being found fit to stand trial. Meseke was then released on $10,000 personal recognizance bond until he was sentenced.
Meseke was transported back to the Marion County Jail on Tuesday after being located in deep Southern Illinois and arrested on the no-bond warrant.
In addition to the prison time, Meseke was ordered to complete one year of parole, pay $115 restitution, and given credit for 195 days already served in the Marion County Jail.
Meseke admitted to entering a pickup truck on the Centralia Burger King Parking Lot in July of 2019 and taking the wallet of the owner.
Centralia Police say video from the store’s cameras showed the burglary occurring. While no one could identify the person involved initially, Meseke was brought in for questioning after police spotted him in another business. He allegedly admitted to confessing to taking the wallet and told police they could find it under a mattress at a motel he had been staying. The wallet was recovered and returned to the owner.
