By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
NILES, MI – Over $170,000 in restitution is being paid by the former Baroda-Lake Township Police Chief in conjunction with his guilty plea to a misdemeanor embezzlement charge.
Shawn Martin, 54, now of Henderson, Nevada, appeared in Berrien County Trial Court Friday to make his plea and to be sentenced. The case was handled by Berrien County Trial Judge Gordon Hosbein after St. Joseph judges recused themselves. According to earlier reports, Martin had owned a residence in Nevada before the police investigation began.
Martin pleaded guilty to embezzlement $200 to $1,000 which is a misdemeanor. He had been charged with six felony counts: one count of embezzlement by a public agent of $50,000 or more but less than $100,000, three counts of embezzlement by a public employee over $50, and two counts of embezzlement of $1,000 or more but less than $20,000.
Judge Hosbein sentenced Martin to $125 in fines and costs and $170,346.10 in restitution. He was given no jail time although he could have faced up to a year in jail. If convicted of the original charges, he would have faced as much as 15 years in prison.
Martin was first arraigned last November after a months long investigation by the Michigan State Police. The case had been scheduled for pre-exam conferences and preliminary hearings in December, February, March and April and were adjourned each time. He had been scheduled to enter a plea last Tuesday, May 12, but that was also adjourned.
The court file indicated that the embezzlement took place when Martin was the police chief between 2019 and early 2025. He was placed on unpaid administrative leave Feb. 26, 2025.
The police report alleged that Martin accrued over $56,000 in overtime that he wasn’t authorized to get, doing so by billing various police department budget line items. He was also accused of accumulating over $16,000 in payments when he claimed he was doing work while on vacations on cruise ships and out of state.
He was also accused of having utilized two police department credit cards to make over $13,000 in purchases of various items that were not police related.
Berrien County Prosecutor Amy Byrd said Martin’s sentencing proves that no one is above the law. “No one is above the law, including those sworn to enforce it,” she said in a press release. “Martin’s conduct represents a serious breach of the public trust placed in him as a police chief.”
“The guilty plea and restitution award reflect a continued commitment to holding public officials accountable when they misuse taxpayer funds, as well as making victims of crime whole again,” she added. “Martin’s guilty plea and immediate payment in full of $170,346.10 is one step in the process of restoration for the Township and its residents who placed their trust in Shawn Martin to serve with honesty and integrity.”
She said that safeguarding public funds and maintaining the integrity of public service will continue to remain a top priority for both Baroda and Lake Townships. “We worked closely with Baroda Lake to meet their objectives which included the timely guaranteed payment in full of embezzled funds as well as an admission of guilt,” she said.