REPEAT VIOLENT OFFENDER GIVEN MAX SENTENCE IN BERRIEN COUNTY TRIAL COURT

By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
NILES, MI – A number of area residents were sentenced to prison in recent court action in Berrien County Trial Court and Cass County Circuit Court.
Michael Alejandro Mez-Visel, 22, of Niles, pleaded guilty to assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder on May 12 and was sentenced to 67 months to 10 years in prison with credit for 56 days served. He must pay $198 in fines and costs. Mez-Visel also had his probation revoked and his conviction entered from a previous misdemeanor domestic violence sentence.
According to statements made in court, the victim was beaten and stabbed before being strangled in the incident. The victim spoke before the sentencing. She said she felt sorry for the defendant. She also disputed the defendant’s statements that he had blacked out and didn’t remember the assault. “He knew what he did was wrong … he knows what he did,” she said.
Defense attorney Carri Briseno noted that her client is still young and hasn’t gotten the mental health treatment he needs in the past. “It will take time for him to treat himself and take care of himself,” she said. “He needs to get mental health treatment.”
Berrien County Assistant Prosecutor Myrene Koch said that Meza-Visel would not initially allow the victim to leave and seek medical help for her injuries. “One of the things that stands out for me is that it is evident that he didn’t take responsibility for his actions or show remorse,” she said. “He claims he blacked out and doesn’t remember. He’s had eight prior probations where he hasn’t learned how to control himself.”
Berrien County Trial Court Judge Gordon Hosbein agreed with Koch’s request to sentence Meza-Visel at the top of the guidelines. The sentencing guidelines called for a sentence of between 34 and 67 months in prison.
         “This is an offense that is highly disturbing,” Judge Hosbein said. “The way you treat women is not okay. Your history shows a pattern that is disturbing to me.”
In another case, Corday Marshaun White, 37, of Niles, pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed weapon and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and was sentenced to two concurrent terms of 14 months to five years in prison. He has credit for 60 days served and must pay $366 in fines and costs. He must forfeit the weapon. The incident occurred May 15 in Niles.
Defense attorney Daniel French said that White is a native of Flint and learned that he had to watch out for himself at an early age. “He makes no excuses and takes full responsibility for his actions,” French said. “He knows he doesn’t need to carry a firearm. It was something he learned and he has to unlearn it.” White is on probation in Genessee County and will have to appear there for violating his probation.
Judge Hosbein said that he had to consider a number of factors in sentencing including protecting the community and punishment. “It seems like all your offenses have been very similar and involving weapons,” he said. “You have to learn that actions have consequences.”
Michael Lorimer Starrett, 28, of Sycamore Street in Niles, pleaded guilty to third offense domestic violence and assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and was sentenced to two concurrent prison terms in Cass County Circuit Court.
He was sentenced to three to five years in prison on the domestic violence charge and has credit for 110 days served. He must pay $698 in fines and costs. On the assault charge, he was given a prison term of six years four months to 10 years. He has credit for 71 days served and must pay $2,048 in fines and costs.
         The domestic violence incident occurred Dec. 24, 2024 at a location in Howard Township. The victim in that case was found with a cut on her forehead and a swollen face and was taken to the hospital.
The assault with intent to do great bodily harm incident occurred May 9 at a location in Milton Township.  The victim in that case was found beaten and bloodied with a chunk of hair missing. She was also transported to the hospital. Police had been to the house twice that day with Starrett forcing her to keep quiet the first time they came.
Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz called Starrett’s behavior egregious with his attacks on the two women. “There are some in society that people absolutely need to be protected from,” he said. “He needs to be sent to prison at the top of the guidelines.”
Cass County Circuit Court Judge Mark Herman described what happened in both incidents. He noted that the first victim said she was afraid to tell the truth about what happened after Starrett separated her from her family and threatened to kill her.
Terrel Kenneth Ward, 37, of Lake Street in Niles, pleaded guilty to resisting police was sentenced to 16 months to two years in prison with credit for 173 days served and $698 in fines and costs.
He also pleaded guilty to receiving, concealing and possession of a stolen motor vehicle and assault with a dangerous weapon and was sentenced to a concurrent 29 months to five years in prison for the stolen vehicle charge and two to four years in prison for the assault charge. He has credit for 164 days served and must pay $2,116 with restitution to be determined.
       The first incident occurred May 5, 2024 in Wayne Township outside of Dowagiac. Police responded to a stolen property complaint and Ward ran from police.
The second incident occurred Oct. 4, 2024 also in Wayne Township. A “be on the lookout” call had been put out by police for a truck stolen in Benton Harbor. A motorist recognized the truck in Wayne Township and called police. He fled from police at speeds of over 110 miles per hour and was eventually stopped in Van Buren County.
Ward is currently serving a prison sentence from a Berrien County conviction for stealing the truck and faces sentencing in Van Buren County for fleeing police.
“I don’t think you are an evil person, but you have an addictive personality,” Judge Herman told Ward. “One of your addictions is motor vehicles. I don’t know why you can’t keep your hands off other people’s vehicles. You have criminal addictive thinking; it’s not just drugs.”