FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — Chad Eichenberger, 39, pleaded guilty in early October to posing as a landlord and renting out a Federal Way home he didn’t own, breaking a keybox to gain entry and causing his “renter” victim to end up homeless.
On Friday, Eichenberger received an exceptional sentence of 60 days in jail for residential burglary and criminal impersonation.
Eichenberger’s crime unraveled last April when a workman at a home on 10th Place Southwest in Federal Way discovered a stranger moving in.
He called the homeowner and police, because the home wasn’t on the market.
Eichenberger had broken in and offered the two-story house for rent on Craigslist, collecting $1,200 from a man who moved to the area from out of state for work.
In court on Friday, King County Superior Court Judge Bruce Heller said Eichenberger’s scheme could have resulted in someone being seriously hurt or worse.
“When you’re allegedly renting some house that doesn’t belong to you, and as a result someone moves into a residence that belongs to somebody else, there’s a very serious potential for violence” Heller said.
Before pleading guilty in this case, Eichenberger had no prior felony convictions, so he could have been sentenced to restitution and community service.
But Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Christian Brown also recommended 30 days behind bars, because of the hardship of the man who rented from Eichenberger.
Brown read the victim’s impact statement in court that included details of how the victim's new life in King County quickly went downhill because of Eichenberger’s scheme.
“He took advantage of me and stole every penny I had,” the statement said. “Because of this man, I lived in an RV with no running water, electricity or bathroom.”
The victim wrote that he also lost his job.
Despite Brown’s 30-day request, Heller sentenced Eichenberger to twice the jail time; 60 days of work-release with credit for 18 days already served.
When Eichenberger begins his sentence, he will be allowed to go to work, but will spend the rest of his days and nights behind bars.
One woman, who lives near a different Federal Way home Eichenberger is suspected of squatting in and also renting on Craigslist, told KIRO 7 on Friday that even 60 days of jail time isn’t nearly enough. She asked not to be identified for fear of retribution and believes the maximum sentence of one year would be more appropriate.
Even though Eichenberger pleaded guilty to the charges related to the home on 10th Place Southwest, he pointed a finger at the victim at sentencing on Friday.
“The witness’s facts and testimony were false,” he told the judge. “I never took a dime from him or anything so his statement is false. But I am guilty of the crime they’re accusing me of, and I’m definitely sorry and won’t ever do it again.”
Eichenberger is still under investigation, however, for breaking into and renting other homes in Federal Way.
His guilty plea in this case will have no bearing on those other potential cases, Brown said, so he could still face additional criminal charges.
KIRO
