UPDATE: 4/18 at 2 p.m.

The Wausau Parole agent convicted of stealing drugs from her parolees will have to wait a little longer to find out her sentence as the hearing has been delayed.

Kim Hoenisch was scheduled to be sentenced on April 25, however online court records list a postponed sentencing date as July 1.
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ORIGINAL STORY: 1/28 at 10:14 p.m.

A former parole agent accused of burglarizing homes and taking prescription medication from her parolees has pleaded no contest.

Kim Hoenisch, 41, was convicted of misconduct in public office, burglary, possession of narcotic drugs, possess/illegally obtained prescription and possession of controlled substance.

The Department of Justice is handling the investigation, as Hoenisch is the wife of the Marathon County Sheriff. The case was heard Monday afternoon in Taylor County, after a Marathon County judge recused himself from hearing the case.

According to the complaint, Hoenisch was employed by the State of Wisconsin as a probation agent with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections in the Division of Community Corrections within the Wausau Regional Field Office. DOJ agents wrote in the complaint that Hoenisch told them she stole Vicodin from probationers while they were taking urine tests during office visits this summer.

The agents wrote that she also told them she stole Vicodin from one of the probationer's homes in June, stole Vicodin from her cousin's house in October and stole oxycodone from a woman's house in March 2011.

The complaint describes the medications primarily as the narcotic drugs hydrocodone and oxycodone. Hoenisch reportedly took the medication without a prescription.

Kim Hoenisch's attorney, Harry Hertel, says it was a two-decades-long addiction to painkillers that drove her to commit the crimes.

"She's had multiple surgeries over her lifetime, including all four years while she was in college," Hertel said. "As a result, she became addicted to pain killers. And unfortunately that's why we're here today."

Hertel says the sheriff was not aware his wife was abusing prescription medications. "She hid everything from him," Hertel said.

A sentencing hearing is expected to be held at the end of April in Marathon County. The prosecution is arguing for 18 months in prison, plus extended supervision. Hoenisch's attorney will request only probation.

"What we want to try to do is look at the factors the judge has to consider at sentencing, and then be able to come up with a creative solution that will be more appealing than simply saying let's put her in prison for 18 months, particularly for someone who in her experience put female prisoners in the only women's prison in Wis."

Hoenisch is free on a $10,000 cash bond.

A press released from the Department of Corrections sent out Dec. 27 says Hoenisch was terminated for failure to exercise good judgment.