Articles Posted in Theft and Property Crimes

Recently, 26-year-old Chad Neiderquill was charged with robbing a Saginaw woman which he knew with a screwdriver. Neiderquill allegedly stole the woman’s prescription medication on September 4 as she was carrying in and putting away groceries.

The victim, 60-year-old Lillian George, told police that Neiderquill was driving in the area as she was putting away groceries, and that he stopped and offered to help her. George said that once all of the groceries were inside, the defendant demanded that she give him her prescription medication, including oxycodone. Saginaw Police Detective Sgt. Reggie Williams said the woman claimed that when she refused, Neiderquill pulled a screwdriver out of a pocket to threaten her, holding it above her head and threatening that if she called police, he would claim George sold him the medications.

On Tuesday November 26, Neiderquill pleaded guilty to armed robbery before Saginaw County Circuit Judge James T. Borchard. He was initially charged with carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent and extortion as well, however prosecutors dropped these charges in exchange for his guilty plea. A news article at Mlive.com indicates that prosecutors will recommend the judge sentence Neiderquill to three years and six months in prison, a minimum sentence for armed robbery according to the defendant’s state sentencing guidelines.

Neiderquill remains in jail on a $75,000 bond, and is scheduled to be sentenced by Borchard on January 9.

In this situation, pleading guilty to armed robbery possibly prevented the defendant from spending up to life in prison. In Michigan, anyone who uses fear, force, or violence in an attempt to steal money or possessions from a person and who does so while possessing or even insinuating the presence of a dangerous weapon may be sentenced to life behind bars according to the Michigan Penal Code 750.529.

Continue reading

Late last week, 44-year-old Steven Krygowski of Jackson was arraigned on multiple charges stemming from a break-in at a neighbor’s apartment. News articles at Mlive.com state that Krygowski broke into the apartment of his neighbor, who was sleeping, and assaulted him.

Jackson Police Lt. Elmer Hitt said that the suspect was charged with breaking and entering, assault with intent to rob while armed, and assault with a dangerous weapon. The victim, who is 69 years old, was found by police when they arrived at the scene with a head injury; police said he was talking and conscious when they arrived at approximately 4:30 a.m. He was listed in stable condition after being transported first to Allegiance Health, then to University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor.

Hitt claimed that the victim did not know what weapon Krygowski used to strike him with, however witnesses claimed to have seen Krygowski carrying a baseball bat when he exited the apartment. Police believe the victim and Krygowski were well acquainted, as the victim said that the defendant had mentioned something about giving him money while in the apartment.

Krygowski is scheduled to appear in court again on December 5.

The penalties an individual faces if convicted of breaking and entering in Michigan depend on the circumstances. Ultimately, what occurs once inside or what it is determined by police and prosecutors as your intentions will be key in sentencing. For instance, if someone breaks and enters a building with the intention of committing larceny, that individual may be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. Additionally, assault with intent to rob could potentially leave the defendant facing up to 15 years in prison if convicted, even life in prison if in possession of a dangerous weapon when the crime was allegedly committed.

Continue reading

In July, Detroit Police Sgt. David A. Pomeroy and St. Clair Shores Police Sgt. Michael Notoriano were arrested in connection with an armed robbery after Notoriano’s daughter was robbed of her cell phone at a Detroit gas station. Now, the two officers are facing a combined 18 criminal charges stemming from the incident.

According to news reports at Mlive.com, Notoriano’s 16-year-old daughter had ridden her bicycle to the gas station with a friend. At the station, 24-year-old Dwayne Weathington allegedly pushed her from the bicycle, then stole her iPhone after grabbing her by her backpack and dragging her on the ground. He is reported to have fled the scene on foot.

While off duty, Pomeroy and Notoriano used the GPS tracking function on Notoriano’s daughter’s phone to track the location of the iPhone. They then confronted three Detroit men who they believed had the phone, according to a statement released on November 18 by the Wayne County Prosecutors Office. Investigators claim the two police officers confronted the men, who were 26, 27, and 28 years old, at gunpoint. Pomeroy allegedly took the iPhone and a handgun from the suspects’ vehicle, then stood guard while Notoriano confiscated a bag of marijuana and $300 from the pockets of the 28-year-old suspect. Before releasing him, Notoriano allegedly used the handgun to strike him in the face.

Both officers were arrested, but charges have only recently been filed. Pomeroy is charged with larceny with a firearm, two counts of unlawful imprisonment, armed robbery, willful neglect of duty, and two counts of failure to uphold the law for unlawful search and seizure.

Notoriano has been charged on the same counts, with additional charges including two counts of felonious assault, two counts of ethnic intimidation, and felony use of a firearm.

If convicted, these two officers will likely face extremely serious consequences; in Michigan, armed robbery can leave the accused facing up to life in prison. Combined with all of the other charges, Pomeroy and Notoriano may be subject to harsh punishment.

Continue reading

A Nashville, TN man, 65-year-old George Edward Alexander, was recently charged in the death of a Jackson bar owner nearly 40 years ago. Alexander is now incarcerated in the Jackson County Jail awaiting a November 26 preliminary exam on charges of armed robbery and first-degree murder in the September 1975 shooting death of Edward Stankiewicz.

Alexander was extradited from Tennessee on October 15 and arraigned by the county magistrate, according to a news article at Mlive.com. The nearly 40 year old case had grown cold, although Prosecutor Jerry Jarzynka said he did not know why. Jarzynka praised investigators Duaine Pittman and Nathan Gross for their diligent efforts in bringing about Alexander’s arrest. Because the evidence against the defendant has not yet been presented in court, Jarzynka would not reveal how the charges against Alexander came about.

In September of 1975, the victim was gunned down outside a bar on Michigan Avenue, then known as the Pink Elephant Bar. He was allegedly shot in the head and neck area, and died at a hospital emergency room. Authorities say that Stankiewicz was robbed of a briefcase containing about $700, the night’s receipts from the bar before being ambushed with a shotgun. Businessmen in the area at the time claim the victim had problems with gang members frequenting the bar, and that he was frequently threatened according to a 1975 story published in the Citizen Patriot.

Alexander lived in Jackson at the time of the alleged crime, and has served prison time for delivery of heroin and larceny from a person.

If convicted of first-degree murder Alexander will likely face life in prison, the maximum punishment in Michigan. Both armed robbery and murder are extremely serious crimes, leaving those accused facing the potential loss of their freedom forever.

Continue reading

On Monday November 4, a jury was selected for the trial of 32-year-old Demeatrius Tate, a man who allegedly participated in a one-day crime spree which included carjacking and two armed robberies, according to a news article at Mlive.com. Tate allegedly committed the crimes along with 18-year-old Artravius Riley, who pleaded guilty and is expected to testify at Tate’s trial.

The two men were arrested after allegedly committing crimes on May 26 of this year. Tate and Riley are accused of robbing a couple who were walking in the Arena District at approximately 2 a.m. Authorities claim the two threatened the couple with a gun, then took their valuables and a car. Later the same day, Tate and Riley allegedly robbed a man who was sitting in his vehicle in the vicinity of Seward Avenue and Douglas Street NW; they robbed him at gunpoint. News reports claim that Riley forced the victim to drive to an ATM machine. The second victim saw the get-away vehicle’s license plate and reported it to police.

In exchange for the teen’s guilty plea and testimony against Tate, prosecutors with the Kent County Prosecutor’s office agreed to dismiss one count each of armed robbery, felony use of a firearm, and carjacking.

If convicted of the carjacking and two street robberies, Tate will face up to life in prison. The defendant was offered a deal in August which would have resulted in a minimum sentence of 13 to 21 years had he pleaded guilty, however he rejected the plea deal. If convicted at trial, the minimum sentence he will face if convicted of all counts will be 14 years to almost 40 years.

Armed robbery and carjacking are both extremely serious criminal offenses punished harshly in the state of Michigan. As indicated above, Tate will face at least 14 years in prison, and possibly life if convicted.

Continue reading

On Thursday October 24, Sharlonda Buckman had her 2011 Chevrolet Traverse stolen right out from under her when she stopped to buy some aspirin at a BP gas station in the 10700 block of East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit. Buckman, who is CEO of Detroit Parent Network, told police that an armed man forced her from her vehicle before she could get her door closed, and that the carjacker had a gun. The incident took place at about 8 a.m. according to a news article at The Detroit News.

Buckman’s SUV was taken; three men who were at the BP station witnessed the altercation, and came to the victim’s aid. News reports say that one of the men had a licensed firearm and shot at the suspect as he chased the unknown man while driving a 2009 blue Ford Focus.

Eventually the suspect drove the victim’s SUV through a barrier at a waterfront dock a few blocks away, jumping from the vehicle before it plunged into the Detroit River. The suspect took cover in nearby brush, and shot the good Samaritan after he exited his Ford Focus to see if the suspect was still inside the sinking SUV. After exchanging gunfire with the suspect, he suffered a gunshot wound which was described as nonfatal, and was hospitalized in temporarily serious condition.

Back at the BP station, another of the three men who came to Buckman’s rescue flagged down a U.S. Border Patrol agent.

The suspect was not apprehended as of last news reports, and may have been shot in the exchange of gunfire according to police. He escaped in the good Samaritan’s Ford Focus; police believe an accomplice may have been involved. The suspect is described as a black man in his 30s with a goatee, last seen wearing dark pants, a gray vest and blue hoodie.

Buckman had just taken her 12-year-old son to school, and said, “Thank God my son was not in the car with me.”

While it is unknown if the suspect has been found by authorities, he will no doubt face serious criminal charges when apprehended. In Michigan, carjacking is a life offense. This means that if convicted, the suspect in this case could potentially face life behind bars. He may also face additional charges for seriously wounding the good Samaritan in the shootout that erupted between the two.

Continue reading

Last week, 34-year-old Reneco Michelle Graus was charged with felony and first-degree murder after allegedly setting an apartment complex on fire in May of 2010.

Graus is accused of setting the Highland Park apartments on fire, resulting in a 64-year-old man who lived in the building jumping to his death. According to a news article at CBS Detroit, the defendant set fire to the door of one of the 56 units; 120 tenants were said to be in 42 of the apartments at the time the fire was set.

The fire spread through the complex, trapping 64-year-old Raymond Jordan on the 4th floor. He jumped after firefighters who arrived on the scene could not reach him. The Highland Park complex was located in the 270 block of Richton. News reports do not indicate why Graus set fire to the door of one of the units. More details are expected to be released following Graus’s November 5 preliminary examination.

Graus is charged with one count of felony murder, one count of first-degree premeditated murder, two counts of arson of a dwelling, and three counts of assault with intent to murder.

The defendant in this case faces extremely serious criminal penalties if convicted. While first-degree premeditated murder is a life offense, assault with intent to murder may also leave an individual facing any number of years up to life in prison. No motive was given in news articles, however it is critical that Graus hire a highly experienced Michigan criminal defense attorney to have any chance at all at escaping conviction and the serious consequences that may result.

Continue reading