COEUR d’ALENE — A man who carried out the “violent unprovoked” destruction of an unoccupied home with an excavator last year received a lengthy prison sentence.

After a four-day trial in May, jurors convicted Fred J. Kudrna IV, 30, of burglary and malicious injury to property, both felonies, as well as the misdemeanor offenses of driving under the influence and operating a vehicle without the owner’s consent. 

First District Judge John Cafferty sentenced Kudrna on Monday morning to a fixed five years in prison for injury to property and to 10 years in prison with no fixed portion for burglary, the maximum possible sentences. The sentences are consecutive, meaning Kudrna will spend up to 15 years in prison with parole eligibility after five years.

“All the other houses in that neighborhood were at serious risk of harm,” Cafferty said before handing down the sentence. “It is a small miracle that the swing of that boom did not tear down another house or tear something else loose.” 

The charges stem from the early hours of Nov. 11, 2025, when prosecutors said neighbors called 911 to report an excavator destroying a newly built home at the corner of Alsea Loop and West Platte Avenue. The house was not on the market but had an estimated value of $500,000. 

At the time of the incident, Kudrna had a job laying pipe for MDM Construction Group, a contractor working in the development where the home was destroyed. 

Prosecutors said Kudrna was under the influence of alcohol and other substances when he drove his black van to the job site where he was scheduled to work later that day, climbed into an excavator and tore down a home. 

During a preliminary hearing in November, neighbors described waking around 5:30 a.m. to loud noises. 

“I opened my blinds to check outside and saw an excavator reach out over the home next to mine and start destroying it,” Nathaniel Shoemaker said during that hearing. 

After the destruction stopped, witnesses said they saw a black van drive away from the scene. 

A Post Falls police officer pulled Kudrna over about half a mile from the demolition site. When questioned, Kudrna reportedly admitted to drinking and driving. 

Prosecuting attorney Laura McClinton said Kudrna’s comments after police detained him indicated he “believed there were children and women being trafficked” and held captive underneath the home he destroyed. 

McClinton suggested these beliefs were related to substance abuse and not mental illness, though defense counsel argued that Kudrna’s mental health factored into his actions. 

“This was a very significant event in our community,” McClinton said. “He destroyed a brand-new home.” 

Defense attorney Tyler Naftz described his client as “charismatic and funny” and said Kudrna has continued to struggle with substance abuse problems despite treatment. 

“People like him and gravitate toward him,” Naftz said. “It is not that Fred is a bad person.” 

Prosecutors said Kudrna has had disciplinary issues in jail since his arrest last year. McClinton said Kudrna failed to line up for headcount, possessed stolen commissary items and used drugs, leading to an overdose. 

“Despite him being incarcerated, it has not deterred his criminal behavior,” she said. 

Before handing down the sentence, Cafferty pointed to Kudrna’s drug use in jail, as well as his criminal history, which includes several probation violations. Since 2018, Kudrna has had seven misdemeanor convictions and one felony conviction. He did not spend time in prison for any past offenses. 

“Lesser punishments have not had the desired effect,” Cafferty said. 

Cafferty said Kudrna’s actions in this case made a prison sentence appropriate. 

“Here we have a serious risk to the community,” he said.