CASSOPOLIS — Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz said there are two sides to Dowagiac resident Darryl Shivers.
There is the side that is a hard worker and provider for his family, and there is the side that landed him a two-year probation sentence on his most recent felony — possession of a firearm by a felon.
“It’s like the old game show ‘To Tell the Truth.’ Will the real Darryl Shivers please stand up?” Fitz said.
Shivers was also sentenced Friday in Cass County Circuit Court to a 150-day jail sentence that he will spend on tether.
Fitz said Shivers was lucky not to be hit with a felony gun charge, which carries a mandatory two- year prison sentence.
Defense attorney Lawrence Quigley said his client is “an extremely hard worker, pays the bills and takes care of his family.”
“A lot of people rely on him,” he said.
For his part, Shivers apologized.
“I made a mistake,” he said. “I’m truly sorry. I’m trying to get on the right road and stay steady.”
Shivers also admitted to police to being a cocaine user.
Judge Michael Dodge told Shivers to get that drug habit under control. Otherwise, he will find himself in the same position in court again soon.
“You don’t want to let people down. But if you continue to use cocaine, you will let them down,” Dodge said.