FORMER SMC INSTRUCTOR AGREES TO PLEA DEAL

By DEBRA HAIGHT 

        NILES – Recent court action in Berrien County Trial Court and Cass County Circuit Court includes

sentencings and a plea in a case involving a former Southwestern Michigan College instructor. 

        Former SMC instructor George Field, 60, of Dowagiac, agreed to a plea deal July 23, just days before he was set to go on trial. He had faced 17 felony charges involving criminal sexual conduct, perjury, insurance fraud and other charges. He will be sentenced Friday, Sept. 10 in Cass County Circuit Court. 

Under the plea agreement announced by Chief Assistant Prosecutor Tiffiny Montenegro and defense attorney James Miller, Field will plead no contest to three counts of attempted aggravated indecent exposure, one count of perjury, one count of unauthorized practice of a health profession, one count of health care fraud and one count of possession of marijuana. 

        Montenegro said the agreement calls for Field to be sentenced to a term of probation, a county jail sentence not to exceed one year and no requirement to register as a sex offender. The rest of the charges against Field will be dismissed including charges of criminal sexual conduct and no additional charges will be brought against him from the investigation. 

        Allegan County Circuit Judge Roberts Kengis noted that Field will be given the opportunity to withdraw his plea if Kengis decides to sentence him to more than a year in jail or change any other terms of the agreement. Judge Kengis is handling the case because Cass County Circuit Judge Mark Herman recused himself because he had been on the board of directors of the counseling center where Field worked. 

Judge Kengis used previous testimony and evidence to show that Field committed perjury when he testified that he had not had sex with the victim, that he had held himself out as a licensed health practitioner when he wasn’t, presented a false insurance claim for services rendered to another person, possessed marijuana in his home in 2017 and attempted to commit indecent exposure against the victim. 

The incidents occurred between September 2015 and early 2018 when he perjured himself during a court hearing. The victim was a student of Field’s at SMC and also went to him for counseling at the Family Center in Dowagiac. She said the counseling took place there and the sexual relations at Field’s home next door to the center. 

Field was arrested in the fall of 2017. The investigation of Field began earlier that summer after the victim told college officials about Field’s actions against her. They began investigating and recommended she contact the sheriff’s department. 

Two area residents were sentenced to prison recently in Berrien County Trial Court after pleading guilty to third offense drunk driving. 

Matthew James Zech, 32, of Stevensville, pleaded guilty to third offense drunk driving and was sentenced to 20 months to five years in prison. He has credit for four days served and must pay $1,758 in fines and costs. 

        The incident occurred Feb. 6 on Red Bud Trail in Buchanan Township and involved a crash. 

        Berrien County Trial Judge Sterling Schrock told Zech he was inconsistent to say that he can take care of his drinking problem but also that he needs help. 

        “This is your fourth or fifth conviction,” the judge said. “You haven’t changed your impulsive decision making and your exercising of poor judgment. You wouldn’t be here today except for your decision to get behind the wheel. You probably did this (got behind the wheel drunk) hundreds of times and put people’s lives at risk.” 

Michael L. Womack, 62, pleaded guilty to third offense drunk driving and was sentenced to 24 months to five years in prison. He has credit for 58 days served and must pay $198 in fines and costs. 

        The incident occurred May 16 in Berrien Springs. Womack is also facing a prison term from charges in Van Buren County.  

        “This was your ninth drunk driving conviction,” Judge Schrock said. “Your record speaks for itself. You were on probation for the same offense when this offense was committed. You leave the court no choice at this time. I understand your addiction, that doesn’t excuse how you behave.” 

In another case, Rashaan Collett, 19, of M-51 in Dowagiac pleaded guilty to attempted assault with intent to

do great bodily harm less than murder and was sentenced to 24 months to five years in prison. He has credit for 27 days already served and was ordered to pay $198 in fines and costs. 

        The incident occurred Jan. 16 in Buchanan.     

        Judge Schrock said he would consider boot camp if the Michigan Department of Corrections believes he’s eligible. “I just don’t know, if they evaluate him appropriate for boot camp, I will look at it,” the judge said. “A lot depends on how he behaves when he gets there.” 

        “I hate to throw in the towel for someone who is 19 but you made your bed for yourself,” he told Collett. “You had a lot of opportunities to correct your behavior and you chose not to. Some people have to be put in prison so they don’t hurt others and that’s what I’m looking at right now.”