A Lanesboro man charged with felony domestic abuse assault in Carroll County District Court has reached a plea agreement with prosecutors. According to court records, 33-year-old Benny Paul Pedersen filed a written plea to a lesser charge, an aggravated misdemeanor. Pedersen was originally charged with domestic abuse assault, a class D felony, following an investigation by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office into a Sept. 18, 2020 incident. Authorities say Pedersen had impeded the victim’s airflow and struck them with enough force to leave significant bruises. In exchange for his guilty plea, a two-year prison sentence was suspended, and Pedersen is instead to be placed on probation for two years with the Iowa Department of Correctional Services. The associated fines and surcharges were also suspended.
