The Luke Wenke Files

In December 2023, Luke Wenke was released from jail on an ankle monitor while awaiting sentencing for a federal probation violation charge that he had pleaded guilty to the previous month. In exchange for Wenke’s guilty plea, the judge had dropped four other probation violation charges, all of which were for contacting victims in violation of state-issued protective orders and court-imposed contact bans.

Wenke’s sentencing was delayed due to lingering concerns over his mental health and the suspected possibility of him being a danger to public safety. The judge’s decision to release Wenke on an ankle monitor came amid multiple mental evaluations and the complex process of situating court-mandated outpatient mental health treatment for Wenke.

As the transcripts below demonstrate, U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo objected to Luke Wenke being released without a mental health treatment plan solidly in place, citing his recent conversations with a victim who feared for their safety (most likely me) as well as the repetitive nature of Wenke’s violative conduct. The judge nevertheless freed Wenke, who lasted less than a week on GPS monitoring before his online behavior and continued complications with setting up treatment prompted the judge to remand him back into custody without bail.