Former KU student pleads guilty to animal cruelty charges

Monday, April 6, 2009

A former KU student is serving time in the Douglas County Jail and faces deportation after entering a plea agreement for two counts of felony animal cruelty during a preliminary hearing Monday.

Cem Basoflas, 21, of Istanbul, Turkey, pleaded guilty to severely injuring a cat in August 2008 and killing a dog in February. As part of the agreement, his bond was revoked and he was taken into custody immediately following his hearing to serve 30 days before his sentencing May 8.

Photo by Ryan McGeeney

Former KU student Cem Basoflas, 21, of Turkey, and his defense attorney, Sarah Swain, listen as a representative of the District Attorney's office discusses stipulations in Basoflas' guilty plea on one charge each on two counts of felony animal cruelty Monday. Basoflas was immediately taken into custody, where he will remain until his sentencing hearing May 8.

The maximum sentence for the charges is one year in jail. The minimum is 30 days.

Under the agreement, Basoflas will pay a $500 fine for each count and undergo a psychological evaluation while in custody.

Basoflas’ lawyer, Sarah Swain, presented the plea agreement and said Basoflas also agreed to pay $1,000 to the Lawrence Humane Society to help pay for investigation costs related to his offenses.

Swain recommended that, following his sentencing, Basoflas be turned over to immigration officials for deportation to Turkey.

Photo by Tim Burgess

Basoflas had been studying for an undergraduate degree in physics on a student visa before his arrest. His felony conviction Monday nullified his student visa.

“The best outcome for this case was to get Mr. Basoflas back to Turkey,” Swain said. “It seems a waste of taxpayers’ money to have him sit in jail or be on probation here.”

Basoflas was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty Feb. 4 after employees of his apartment complex found a large amount of blood and other evidence within his apartment.

Midge Grinstead, Lawrence Humane Society director, said she had mixed feelings about the plea agreement. Grinstead said she was pleased that Basoflas pleaded guilty, but wished more information about the state’s evidence against Basoflas had come out. She also said she hoped that Basoflas’ jail time would be extended at his sentencing, saying 30 days was “not enough.”

“To me, it isn’t justice,” Grinstead said.

— — Edited by Susan Melgren

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