Williamsburg Police searching for suspect in Monday home invasion/robbery

Williamsburg Police are asking for the public’s help to locate a suspect wanted in connection with a home invasion/armed robbery Monday night on South Second Street.

Chief Wayne Bird said the suspect, identified as Samuel E. Plotnick, 41, of Williamsburg, was able to elude police following an altercation during which officers twice used their tazers in an attempt to subdue him.

“He was just acting crazy and the tazer had no effect,” Bird said.

Bird said police were called to the scene at approximately 8 p.m. after the residents reported that Plotnick had forced his way inside the home and into the kitchen.

“The victim was familiar with Plotnick,” Bird said when asked what may have led to the incident.

Once in the kitchen, Bird said Plotnick allegedly got his hands on a .22-caliber pistol that was lying on the counter and held it to the head of one of the residents.

“He then threatened to shoot the other resident,” Bird said.

Plotnick then fled the scene, jumping into a waiting vehicle.

The residents were able to provide police with a description of the vehicle and Sergeant Brandon White located it and initiated a traffic stop a short time later.

Bird said Plotnick, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was seen moving from the front to the back seat, holding police at bay for several minutes before exiting the vehicle.

“He was extremely high on meth and tried to fight with the officers,” Bird said of Plotnick adding that officers then used their tazers.

Plotnick was able to escape from officers and flee the scene.

“After several hours of searching, the officers were unable to find him,” Bird said.

Two females inside the vehicle were also arrested.

Courtney Willhite, 35, and Cara Lawson, 29, both of Williamsburg, were each charged with receiving stolen property – firearm.

Bird said the only property Plotnick took from the home was the gun, which police have recovered from the vehicle.

“The fact that he took the victim’s property while threatening violence led to the robbery charge,” Bird said.

Bird said Plotnick has friends and family in the area along east Ky. 92.

Anyone with information concerning his whereabouts is asked to contact Williamsburg Police at 549-6087 or Whitley County E-911 at 549-6017.

Callers may remain anonymous.

Plotnick was sentenced to eight years in prison in October 2014 after being found guilty of second-degree manslaughter in the death of Jimmy Peace.

According to testimony in the case, Plotnick and his then girlfriend, Teresa Burnette, had stopped by Peace’s residence on Dec. 15, 2012.

The trio had been drinking heavily throughout the day when an altercation broke out during which Plotnick assaulted both Burnette and Peace.

Plotnick was initially charged with assault. However, the charges were upped to murder after Peace died from his injuries.

Plotnick incurred additional charges of assaulting the police officers called to the scene in response to the fight.

Whitley County Sheriff’s deputies and Corbin Police arrived, finding Plotnick, Peace and Burnette standing on the porch.

When Corbin Police Officer James Miller went to walk inside the house, Plotnick reportedly turned on him and went into a fighting stance with his fists clinched.

Officers informed Plotnick that he was under arrest, only to see Plotnick wrap his arms around a post on the porch, lock his hands and refuse to let go.

As officers attempted to cuff Plotnick, Plotnick kicked three of them before he was finally secured.

When Deputy John Hill went to search Plotnick, Plotnick reportedly spit in Hill’s face, twice.

At his sentencing on the manslaughter charge, Circuit Court Judge Dan Ballou ordered Plotnick to serve 12 months in jail on each of the four resisting arrest charges and one count of fourth-degree assault.

Under Kentucky law, that time was served concurrently to the time on the manslaughter charge.

Plotnick was convicted in 2001 onone count of sodomizing his then girlfriend’s four-year-old son with a tent pole.

However, that conviction was later overturned on appeal as the boy had changed his story during testimony at the trial.

Plotnick had served six years in prison before he was granted a new trial The case was dismissed in September 2008.