HANCOCK COUNTY — An Indianapolis man who was originally charged with attempted rape from an incident in New Palestine in 2016 — but who wasn’t arrested for two years — has been sentenced for his crimes.
Wade Silvers, 46, who was originally facing four felony charges, pleaded guilty to two Level 6 felony counts of sexual battery. A more serious Level 3 felony charge of attempted rape and another count of sexual battery were dropped as part of the plea agreement.
After admitting guilt before Judge Jeff Eggers, who was filling in for Judge Scott Sirk last week in Hancock County Circuit Court, Silvers received a sentence of 545 days in the Indiana Department of Correction for each of the two counts against him. The judge ordered the sentences to be served at the same time.
A total of 351 days of the sentence, however, was suspended. Coupled with 194 days of jail-time credit, Silvers will not see any time in prison.
Silvers was, however, placed on sex offender probation.
A warrant for Silvers was issued in July 2016 after a woman told police a neighbor came into her apartment on the pretense of bumming a cigarette and tried to force himself on her, according to court documents.
After several minutes of resisting Silvers and trying to escape him, the woman’s boyfriend returned home, and Silvers released her, the woman told police.
Silvers chatted with the woman’s boyfriend for a short time, acting “completely normal,” she said, before he finally left the apartment, court documents said.
The woman said she confided in her boyfriend about what had happened, and they immediately called the police, court documents show.
Police sought an interview with Silvers, but he declined to talk to investigators. He would not be arrested on the 2016 warrant for two years.
Officials from the prosecutor’s office noted the victim has had several life changes since the incident, including becoming a new mother, and wanted to get the case settled and behind her.
