The complexities of defending a multi-county, multi-state prosecution can pose a challenge for any Michigan criminal defense attorney. If not handled well, the client can end up serving back to back sentences (consecutive) rather than simultaneous sentences (concurrent.) A recent case New Baltimore case illustrates this principle.
Three men were recently arraigned in a New Baltimore District courtroom, accused of a wild series of thefts that may have occurred in multiple states. The three men, who are all from the Richmond, Michigan area, and whose ages range from 18 to 22, are accused of thefts in Utah and Oklahoma, as well as Cadillac, Michigan. The men were arrested at a hotel in Chesterfield by local police. The most serious charge facing the men carries a five year prison penalty. All three are reportedly being held in the Macomb County jail.
Police subsequently arrested all three
Police made the arrest after one officer reported suspicious activity near a truck outside a hotel. The officer then ran the license plate of the truck and discovered that the vehicle had been reported stolen in Utah back in early January. After confronting two men in the truck, officers were led to a third man inside the hotel and police subsequently arrested all three.
According to prosecutors the thefts the men are accused of, besides the truck from Utah, include credit cards from Tulsa and Cadillac, jewelry, a valuable coin and stamp collection, silverware and many other items.
The three men were identified as Joseph Norman Chambers, David Tomayco and Jake Cooper. Bale was set at $100,000, $75,000 and $50,000 respectively. The oldest of the group, 22 year old Joseph Chambers, has a long criminal history and was already violating his parole at the time of his arrest.
Potentially, these three men can be prosecuted in various locations in Michigan and then transported out of state to face charges elsewhere. As Michigan criminal defense attorneys, we understand the need to minimize jail or prison time for clients facing multiple prosecutions.