By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Laramie Siebert, sentenced Dec. 13 to a year in jail for driving under the influence, lost his work release — and his lawyer — Thursday when a judge learned he had not told the truth about working for 2K Feeders in Burns.

Judge Ben Sexton heard testimony Thursday that instead of working for 2K Feeders, as Siebert had told the judge on the day of sentencing, he had quit that job the day before he was sentenced.

Siebert was reportedly working with his father, John Siebert, doing tree cutting and clearing.

Sexton revoked Siebert’s work release until he reviews Siebert’s working arrangement.

Siebert’s lawyer, Matthew Leavitt of Wichita, withdrew from representing Siebert the same day.

A new lawyer, Thomas Dower of Hutchinson, filed a motion Friday asking the judge to reconsider his decision to revoke Siebert’s work release.

Dower claims Siebert resigned from 2K Feeders for financial reasons.

Siebert “was extremely nervous on the date of his sentencing and acknowledges that he incorrectly stated his place of employment during the court hearing,” Dower wrote.

Dower claims Siebert later told jailers he would be working for his father.

Dower wrote that Siebert’s work hours are 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. When Sexton sentenced Siebert, he specified that Siebert could work 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“It was certainly not (Siebert’s) intention to in any way mislead the court regarding his employment status,” Dower wrote. “(He) has a number of responsibilities to his family and others which require him to be employed. The family has made investments in equipment, etc., which require him to be available to operate the same to generate income to pay for the equipment acquired and to otherwise provide for his family.”

Siebert earlier spent four years in prison after he was convicted in McPherson County of involuntary manslaughter in the 2011 death of James Stang. Siebert was driving under the influence when his pickup crossed the centerline of US-56 near Canton and crashed into Stang’s pickup. Stang died at the scene.