Accepts Plea Bargain One Day Before Trial
Kyle A. Schmiege, a 24-year-old resident of Bay City with an extensive criminal history in the area, has chosen to accept a plea bargain just one day before his trial was scheduled to begin. He pled guilty to home invasion charges as part of a plea bargain that will significantly reduce his charges. But that doesn’t change the fact that he will still end up behind bars for quite a few years.
Schmiege appeared recently in the Bay County Circuit Court before Chief Judge Kenneth W. Schmidt in order to enter his plea. Having accepted the prosecution’s offer, he pled guilty to two counts of second-degree home invasion. Under Michigan law, these are felonies punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
But in exchange for his plea bargain, the prosecution has agreed to dismiss 14 other charges, stemming from four unrelated incidents, that Schmiege was also facing. Among the dismissed charges were first-degree home invasion, felony firearm, larceny in a building, breaking and entering with intent to commit a larceny, larceny of a firearm, receiving and concealing stolen property less than $200, illegal possession of a firearm, and also illegal possession of ammunition.
In addition, Bay County Assistant Prosecutor Jeff Stroud has agreed that Schmiege’s minimum sentence shouldn’t exceed eight years. But because Schmiege was a parolee at the time of the most recent criminal acts, he will now be required to serve out the remainder of his previous sentence as well as any new sentencing time assigned to him by the Judge. He is also eligible for consecutive sentences as a result.
According to court records, Schmiege’s most recent charges stem from two incidences that took place on December 17th, and then on February 23rd. He apparently first broke into a house on Chilson street, where he stole a television. Then, he broke into a home on Warner street, where surveillance cameras show him taking a gun, ammunition, two televisions, video games, shoes, and a heater.
Schmiege is scheduled to be sentenced on October 26th at 1:30 pm by Judge Schmidt.