Illinois woman charged with animal cruelty pleads not guilty

Illinois (WHBF) — A 59-year-old Sherard woman pleaded not guilty to animal cruelty.

Karen Plambeck has waived her right to a preliminary hearing on Tuesday morning. Tuesday morning’s hearing would have previewed the evidence in the case.

Investigators arrested Plambeck in August after finding nearly 200 dogs on his Mercer County property.

A preliminary hearing would have covered both the first and second arrests and the charges of tampering with witnesses. The latest indictment comes after a witness told authorities that Planbeck would tell her the location of her missing dog if he contacted her and she “dropped the charges” against her. It was conducted.

Plambeck pleaded not guilty to all charges. If convicted, Planbeck could face a prison sentence of one year to three years for animal cruelty. She also faces two to her five years in prison for tampering with her witnesses.

The dog was confiscated from Planbeck property and is now in the custody of Mercer County Animal Control. A dog cannot be adopted until it is permanently confiscated by Planbeck. Mercer County state attorneys have filed a petition to initiate its forfeiture.
Plambeck’s next meeting on December 12th is a pre-trial meeting (a meeting of the lawyers and judges involved in the case).