Hobart Man Sentenced to One Year for Burglary at Republic Steel
Crown Point- On October 2, 2025, a Lake County judge sentenced Mitchell James Umlauf, 33, to one year in the Indiana Department of Correction after he pled guilty to burglary.
According to court records, Umlauf admitted to entering a Republic Steel building where copper wire was cut and a transformer was damaged, causing an estimated $180,000 in loss. The court accepted Umlauf’s guilty plea, which carried a sentence cap under the plea agreement.
In sentencing, the court noted Umlauf’s prior convictions, including theft in 2016, domestic battery in 2021, and resisting law enforcement in 2021. Records also show Umlauf was out on bond in two separate cases when the burglary occurred.
Judge Salvador Vasquez credited Umlauf with 92 days served and granted good time credit as provided by law. A remaining count in the case was dismissed. Umlauf was remanded to the custody of the Lake County Sheriff to begin serving his sentence.
