Man Pleads Guilty to Breaking Into Neighbor’s Home in Rockville

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- A Stearns County man charged with violating a harassment restraining order and firing gunshots toward his neighbor has pleaded guilty to other charges involving the same neighbors.

Fifty-nine-year-old Joseph Bloch has pleaded guilty to felony 2nd-degree burglary from an October incident and a misdemeanor charge of violating a restraining order from a September incident.  He pleaded guilty through an Alford Plea. An Alford Plea is where a defendant maintains they're innocent of the crime, but admits the prosecution has enough evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Bloch still faces charges from the original incident in July.

According to the criminal complaints filed in Stearns County District Court, the Stearns County Sheriff's Office was called to a home on County Road 8 in Rockville near Grand Lake on July 1st.

Once on the scene, a woman told deputies that while she was outside in her garden Bloch had threatened he was going to get her and fired three rounds from a rifle in her direction.

The woman's husband was also outside and confirmed her story and informed them of ongoing issues with Bloch including him breaking a window on their property.

Bloch was then charged with coming onto their property at the end of September and breaking into the home, damaging items, and stealing a security camera about a week later.

A jury trial for the July incident is scheduled to start on January 14th.

Bloch faces charges of felony threats of violence with a reckless disregard of the risk of causing terror, felony harassment with aggravating factors, and misdemeanor violation of a harassment restraining order.