By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
This week’s court news includes sentencings in both Berrien County Trial Court and Cass County Circuit Court.
Two Niles brothers and a South Bend young woman were sentenced to prison in Berrien County Trial Court on weapon and drug charges.
Javonte and Juwan Milons were arrested July 12 at a Cherry Street residence after
they posted a video on Facebook showing them holding guns. At least some of the guns were later found to be stolen.
Javonte Milons, 22, of Cherry Street in Niles, pleaded guilty to receiving, concealing or possession of stolen weapons and possession of marijuana and was sentenced to 23 months to five years in prison and $198 in fines and costs on the weapons charge. He has credit for time served, 61 days, on the marijuana charge.
He is currently on parole and his current sentence will be consecutive to any sentence he gets for the parole violation.
Juwan Milons, 20, of Marion Street in Niles, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon and was sentenced to 16 months to five years in prison with credit for 60 days already served. He must also pay $198 and forfeit three weapons.
Milons also pleaded guilty to his sixth violation of terms of his probation from a 2015 home invasion sentence and was sentenced to a concurrent prison term of 14 months to five years.
Both Milons brothers were sentenced for the 2015 incident with Javonte sentenced to 32 months in prison. Juwan Milons was sentenced then to two years probation, 240 days in jail followed by tether.
Defense attorney Scott Sanford said the brothers had gotten weapons after their house had been shot up a short time earlier. “They were flashing them on Facebooks to warn others and get the message out that they had weapons too,” he said.
Berrien County Trial Judge Charles LaSata noted that it’s a bad idea to commit a new felony while either on probation or parole from an earlier felony.
Judge LaSata had a different message for a young South Bend woman who crossed the state line to sell meth to an undercover police officer at the Niles Dairy Queen on South 11th Street near the state line.
Anasia Bradley, 20, of South Bend, pleaded guilty to delivery/manufacture of methamphetamines and was sentenced to 51 months to 20 years in prison. She has credit for 49 days already served and must pay $258 in fines and costs.
The incident occurred April 25 at the Dairy Queen on South 11th Street in Niles Township.
“You’ve committed five crimes in the last two years, you’re going to prison because you made really terrible decisions,” LaSata said. “We deal harshly in Michigan with those who come from other states to commit crimes here.”
“You’re a 20 year old woman with a miserable record, you need to get real smart real fast,” he added. “Tell your friends ‘don’t bring drugs into Michigan or you will pay a heavy price’.”
Another young woman, this time from Dowagiac, was sentenced to 180 days in jail and had her probation revoked after violating her probation twice.
McKenzie Kuseske, of Priest Road in Dowagiac, had been given the chance in June to
keep the felony theft conviction off her record under the Holmes Youthful Training Act but “failed in a monumental way.” LaSata noted that she tested positive for drugs and then absconded twice from the probation program.
A Niles area man who assaulted his girlfriend and later tried to escape from the Cass County Jail after his arrest was sentenced in Cass Circuit Court to probation and jail.
Joshua Daniel Sprinceana, 36, of Cook Street near Niles, pleaded guilty to aggravated domestic violence, attempted resisting and obstructing police and escaping from jail while awaiting trial for a felony and was sentenced to two years probation, 300 days in jail and restitution of $1,181 for the damage he caused to a light fixture in the jail.
He has credit for 52 days already served and can spend the final 120 days of his jail term at the Twin County Probation Center. He must also pay $1,498 in fines and costs.
The incident occurred July 7 at a residence in Howard Township where he assaulted his girlfriend by smashing her head into a door, hitting her and putting her in a chokehold. He was found to have a blood alcohol level of .14 at the time of his arr.est.
Sheriff’s deputies discovered him attempting to escape the Cass County Jail around 1:15 a.m. He had destroyed a light fixture which caused a power outage to the jail and then climbed into the ceiling in an attempt to escape.
“Obviously at 36 years of age you have a drinking problem and now two felony convictions,” Judge Mark Herman said. “You say you have a child on the way and you want to get your college degree. I hear people say all the time that they want to change for their children. If you turn your back on them, don’t expect compassion from me.”
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