Akeenen Anton Lamar Hunt, 34, Fishers
HANCOCK COUNTY — Akeenen Anton Lamar Hunt was facing up to more than 100 years in prison due to the numerous crimes he was convicted of committing in the county. Hunt, 34, Fishers, is the man who was found guilty of 102 counts of invasion of privacy and four counts of obstruction of justice following a four-day jury trial in August.
Hunt had his sentencing hearing earlier this month, but Hancock County Circuit Court Judge Scott Sirk wanted to take the suggestions on the sentencing from both the prosecutor and the defense under advisement before making a decision.
Sirk announced his decision Thursday afternoon, sentencing Hunt to five years each on the four counts of obstruction of justice, Level 5 felonies, with the years to run consecutive to each other for a total of 20 years. The 102 invasion of privacy and attempted invasion of privacy charges will run concurrent on the days committed for a total of 15 years that will run consecutive to the 20 years.
Hunt was given a total of 35 years to be executed at the Indiana Department of Corrections (IDOC) that will run consecutive to Hunt’s other 46-year term he was given earlier this year, where 30 years are to be served and 16 years were suspended. It means Hunt will have to serve a total of 65 years in prison due to the two cases he’s been convicted of in Hancock County.
Hancock County Prosecutor Brent Eaton had asked the court to consider the full weight of the decisions of the defendant and order a combined total sentence of 103 years and 9 months (270 days) to be executed at the IDOC with no time suspended and no probation.
The public defender, Myron A. Rahn, asked the court for a far lesser sentence, wanting only 12 years to be served for the 102 misdemeanors and four Level 5 felonies, saying murder sentences are not as lengthy as what the state is asking for.
While Eaton noted he believed strongly that Hunt deserved more time in prison for breaking the law, he noted he can live with the terms.
“The state’s position remains because every time someone commits a crime we believe that it is deserving of an independent account of what has occurred,” Eaton said. “But, we certainly respect the court and the court’s decision, and we think this goes a long way towards protecting the victim in this case, which was the most important thing.”
Rahn stated he was disappointed in the judge’s decision, but their office has the utmost respect for the jury and their verdict, as well as for Judge Sirk.
“And although I understand how the court came to its decision, I still question the length of the sentence, especially the executed or prison time,” Rahn said. “Mr. Hunt was given more prison time in this case, for phone calls or attempting to make phone calls to a victim who was sending him money so he could afford the calls, than the sentence he received for a rape conviction. Nevertheless, I understand the court has a difficult job, and I’m thankful the judge was at least more reasonable than the 103 years that the state was asking for.”
Eaton noted he hopes the sentence sends a message and helps other victims know the courts will be there to protect them when a protection order is put into place.
At the time of the crimes in this case, Hunt was incarcerated in the Hancock County Jail while awaiting trial for charges including kidnapping, rape, invasion of privacy, burglary, leaving the scene of an accident causing injury, criminal recklessness, criminal confinement, and domestic battery, all committed in the early morning hours of December 13, 2023. Hunt was convicted on 15 charges in that case during a July jury trial, was sentenced to a 46-year term for those crimes and will have to serve 30 of those years.
Hunt had an initial hearing on the Dec. 13 charges on Dec. 20, 2023, where Sirk issued a no-contact order, prohibiting Hunt from having any contact with the victim of that December assault. Notably, at the time Hunt committed the crimes in Hancock County on Dec. 13, he was out on bond for another domestic violence incident involving the same victim in Hamilton County. Magistrate Chadwick Hill had similarly ordered Hunt not to have any contact with the victim. While in the Hancock County Jail, Hunt repeatedly violated both the Hamilton and Hancock County no-contact orders by contacting the victim of the previous case after being court-ordered not to do so. Records show that Hunt made 118 calls to the victim between December 24, 2023, and January 3, 2024, all against the court orders.
Out of the 118 calls, Hunt made verbal contact with the victim in approximately 32 of them. In many of the recorded calls documented by the Greenfield Police Department and the Hancock County Jail, Hunt incriminated himself by providing details related to the crimes he committed on December 13, 2023, when the charges in the previous case were filed against him.
Additionally, several calls documented Hunt’s attempts to coerce the victim into changing her statement. On multiple occasions, Hunt requested that the victim go to court to try to vacate the no-contact order, acknowledging his awareness of the order and its restrictions. Furthermore, Hunt offered things of value to the victim in exchange for actions that would benefit him or his case, such as paying for her rent.
Hunt remains in custody at the Hancock County Jail and actually has another case currently set for trial in October for similar obstruction charges. However, Eaton noted that case may be dropped due to how many years in prison Hunt is already facing but much of that depended on the term the court handed down in the case settled Thursday.
Eaton said he has not made up his mind yet about if he will pursue the charges in that case against Hunt. Eaton does however believe Hunt’s latest sentencing will be appealed, but he remains hopeful it will be upheld.
