BEATRICE – A defendant described as a violent person with a 20-year criminal history, is being sent to prison.


Gage County District Judge Rick Schreiner sentenced 41-year-old Jeffrey Oreskovich, of Beatrice to a two-year prison term, for attempted strangulation.
"You are a violent human being. You've got a twenty year history of violence. You are 41 years old, you've got four children...and this, I believe, is at least the second case that involves you committing an act of violence on the mother of your children."


A third-degree domestic assault charge against Oreskovich was dismissed, and the judge said the defendant had received a considerable benefit through a plea agreement.


"The State of Nebraska did not choose to enhance. You are an habitual criminal. That's something that should go through your mind if that's what you want to be known as...when you leave this earth. You don't want to be known as an habitual criminal and your children telling folks, yes my dad is a habitual criminal....then you need to make some changes."


The judge rejected a plea for probation by the defendant, who was being sentenced in a county court case, as well. Judge Schreiner included in the prison sentence a one-year period of post-release supervision…something that angered Oreskovich during Wednesday’s sentencing hearing.


"You guys got nothing on me. I was promised probation in county, so I could come here and get probation. I'm not happy. Now, you're going to put me in prison for two years and I'm gonna get out and be on probation. But, you're telling me I'm not a candidate for probation. And now I gotta pay for all these ankle monitors and alcohol tests through the probation that you won't let me have. Same thing, right? But I got to go to jail first and then get out and do it. So I'm not happy....that's all."


The judge warned Oreskovich that he could hold him in contempt…and that he could be sentenced to a separate jail term if he continued with his outburst.


The sentence in district court will be served after Oreskovich finishes his county court sentence.  Oreskovich was arrested by Beatrice Police in July of 2023 after he had punched a woman three times while she was holding a six-month-old child.
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In a separate case in Gage County District Court Wednesday, 32-year-old Kodi Zelenko, of Beatrice was sentenced to a two-year term of probation, for possession of LSD.