COURT NEWS UPDATE

By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
NILES – Recent action in Berrien County Trial Court includes sentencings, the setting of a trial date for the man who allegedly struck and killed a Road Department worker and a plea from a South Bend area youth hockey coach for accosting a minor.
Taylor Ryan Johnson, 34, of Buchanan, was in Berrien County Trial Court last week for a pre-exam hearing.

A preliminary hearing had been set for this week before his decision to waive it. Johnson’s next court dates will be Nov. 16 for a case conference, Dec. 19 for a status conference and Jan. 4 for the trial.
Johnson is charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing death in connection with the death of road department worker William “Mack” Isom, 57, of Baroda. That charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10.000.
The incident occurred July 20 on Red Bud Trail near Glendora Road in Oronoko Township. Isom had been working on cutting up a fallen tree which was in the roadway across Red Bud Trail. Isom had worked for the road department for over two decades.
He was allegedly hit and killed by a southbound vehicle driven at a high rate of speed by Johnson. The Michigan State Police conducted an accident reconstruction of the incident.
Johnson sustained minor injuries and was later arrested for operating while intoxicated causing death. He has not posted bond and remains in the Berrien County Jail.
A South Bend man who served as a youth hockey coach in the area pleaded guilty last month to soliciting a minor at a Niles area hotel.

Christien Joubert’s plea came at a court hearing in mid-August, Berrien County Assistant Prosecutor Jerry Vigansky said. Joubert is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 26 before Berrien County Trial Judge Sterling Schrock.
Vigansky said Joubert pleaded guilty to two counts: the original count of accosting a minor for immoral purposes and a reduced count of using a computer or the internet to commit a crime. Both carry maximum penalties of four years in prison. Joubert remains free on $5,000 cash or surety bond.
Joubert had been set for trial starting Aug. 31 in Niles. On the reduced count, he had originally been charged with communicating with another person to commit a crime which is a 20 year felony.
According to earlier reports, Joubert is a hockey coach and director of a youth, high school and adult hockey league program in South Bend, Ind.
Police reports and charging documents alleged that Joubert arranged to meet an underage girl for sex at the Hampton Inn in Niles on May 12. When he arrived and knocked on the door, a police officer answered and Joubert was arrested.
Joubert told police that he thought he was communicating with an underage girl when he was actually in contact with a police officer. He said he had found the person on a website called skipthegames.com. He initially thought that the girl was 19 but the person later said they were 15.
Three area residents were sentenced to prison in Berrien County Trial Court in Niles.
Michael Allen House, 29, of Buchanan, pleaded guilty to uttering and publishing as well as forgery and

was sentenced to concurrent prison terms. He was sentenced to 18 months to 14 years in prison for the uttering and publishing charge and 12 months to 14 years in prison for forgery.
House has credit for 57 days already served and must pay $396 in fines and costs. He is ordered to pay $19,164 in restitution in the uttering and publishing case and $6,000 in restitution in the forgery case.
The uttering and publishing incident occurred Nov. 1, 2020 and the forgery incident occurred Jan. 21, 2022, both in Buchanan. He took money from his grandfather as well as another person.
Defense attorney Erika Damstetter asked for a lower prison term given the amount of restitution House owes. “There is a large amount of restitution to pay back,” she said. “He is an engineer, very intelligent and able to work. The sooner he gets out, the sooner he can start paying it back.”
House said he has re-evaluated his life. “Obviously drugs have done nothing for me,” he said. “I apologize to my grandfather. He’s my superhero and means everything to me and I took advantage of him. I’m sorry.”

Clifford Edward Kunze, 35, of Niles, pleaded guilty to first offense delivery/manufacture of methamphetamines and was sentenced to five years to 20 years in prison. He has credit for 144 days served and must pay $198 in fines and costs.
The incident occurred Nov. 10, 2021 in Oronoko Township.
“It’s all about the choices that you make,” Berrien County Trial Judge Schrock said. “It’s unfortunate, you have skills as an auto mechanic. You need to self reflect and self evaluate where you plan to go to get beyond this.”
Richard Lane Wilbert, 41, of Buchanan, pleaded guilty to third offense

drunk driving and was sentenced to 14 months to 60 months in prison. He has credit for 36 days already served and must pay $198 in fines and costs. He was given credit for time served for contempt of court.
The incident occurred Aug. 10, 2021 in Berrien Springs.
His past record includes at least one drunk driving conviction in Indiana and another third offense drunk driving conviction in Michigan in 2017 and a resisting and obstructing conviction also in Michigan in 2009.