Man charged with attempting to poison nun pleads guilty to harassment

Published: 2005-05-23

GALLUP, N.M. (CNS) -- A Gallup man accused of attempting to poison an 81-year-old Catholic nun pleaded guilty to harassment May 19 in Magistrate Court. Derek Kolb, 29, signed a plea agreement to the misdemeanor charge before Magistrate Court Judge George Galanis. It was a major step down from the attempted murder charge that was originally filed against him. "He wants to go on with the rest of his life," said Steven F. Seeger, Kolb's attorney. He said his client "never meant to harm" Father Thomas Maikowski, Carmelite Sister Margaret Mary Liebst "or the Catholic Church." Police filed an attempted murder charge in Magistrate Court Oct. 28 against Kolb, who reportedly admitted to trying to poison Sister Margaret Mary to get more attention from Father Maikowski. Kolb's sentence of one year in jail was suspended but he will be on supervised probation for one year. Seeger said he will pay restitution of $500 to Catholic Charities, at the rate of $50 a month.

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