More guilty pleas and punishment from B and E?s
by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor
One man has been sent to prison in a series of breaking and enterings in Presque Isle County, while two others are serving time in the county jail and one awaits sentencing. Monday in 53rd Circuit Court, a fourth subject pleaded guilty to five felonies and provided details of the crimes. Kenneth Dangler III, 22, of Tower, appeared before Circuit Judge Scott Pavlich to enter pleas as part of an agreement with the Presque Isle County prosecutor?s office.
Prosecutor Rick Steiger agreed to drop one charge in exchange for a prison sentence that will not exceed the midway point of the sentencing guidelines.
Dangler also would be responsible for restitution. He testified to his involvement in five crimes, from residences in North Allis Township to a pole barn in the Millersburg area. HE PLEAD guilty to: three counts of home invasion second degree of residences on Porter Road, Palmer Road and Bluffs Highway: as well as breaking and entering with intent of pole barns on Bluffs Highway and Circle Drive in Millersburg.
At the home on Palmer Road, Dangler said, ?Anthony Dempsey and I were riding around that night and he said he knew a place we could break into. He pried open the window, peeked his head inside, and a loud alarm went off so I took off running.?
Dempsey already is serving time with the Michigan Department of Correction for his involvement in the crimes.
On Bluffs Highway, Dangler said he went into the pole barn and Dempsey entered the home. ?I stole a numerous amount of tools,? said Dangler. ?I didn?t really want to go in the house. I didn?t think there was anything of value for me so I went into the pole barn.? Dangler admitted to stealing a 1996 Polaris snowmobile from a garage on Twin School Highway and assisting Dempsey in taking another snowmobile on Circle Drive.
?Anthony Dempsey had broken into this pole barn earlier that day,? said Dangler. ?He found a fairly brand new snowmobile that he wanted me to help him take, so I went back there later that night and took the snowmobile out of the pole barn.? Dangler will find out what his time behind bars is going to be August 3 when he returns to court for sentencing.
CHRIS PRESTON, 22, of Onaway was sent to jail for four months for his part in multiple B & E?s December 17, 2008. Preston?s attorney Michael Hackett said his client was recruited to ?go get some snowmobile parts. Chris made the mistake of going along with it. So, he drove them to a location.?
Hackett asked Pavlich to consider a sentence of two months, so Preston can continue his schooling in September. ?Obviously, it isn?t something that Chris had been involved in before,? said Hackett. ?We stand before the court, accepting responsibility for what we did. At the same time, I?m requesting the court recognize, or take into consideration: one, the fact that this was not Chris? idea: and two, this is not the Chris Preston all the people in his community
Hackett also said Preston will pay $3,600 in restitution to some of the victims. ?I want to take full responsibility for my actions and I know they were inappropriate,? Preston told the judge. ?I just want to tell everybody I am sorry for the decision I made.? Steiger was opposed to the jail time being served over the summer and recommended a lengthier term. He said the crimes touched the entire community and involved ?property being destroyed, people?s property taken.?Steiger also argued that Preston had a prior larceny charge in 2005 that needed to be taken into consideration.
?It is a concern to me that in 2005 you committed larceny,? said Pavlich. ?You?ve been through this once. It?s serious that you have this prior. ?In this case, you are not the instigator or the motivator. You were recruited by these two individuals to drive them. That certainly doesn?t excuse it. Still, you go along with it. People of this community should have their right to be secure in their own homes, their own garages, their own building, their own property.?