CASSOPOLIS — A South Bend man was sentenced to one year in Cass County Jail Friday.

Cass County Circuit Court Judge Mark Herman sentenced Austin Michael Pillow, 22, of the 4000 block of Lathrop Road in South Bend, to 12 months in jail for a charge of larceny from a motor vehicle.

The charges stem from an incident that took place on March 25, 2017, in Jones, Michigan. Officers found Pillow in possession of a vehicle his cousin was using with permission of the legal owner. Both his cousin and the legal owner of the vehicle denied giving Pillow permission to use the vehicle. While he was using the vehicle, Pillow removed the sound system and stored it at a family member’s home.

Pillow pleaded guilty to these charges at an Aug. 2, 2017 court appearance.

Pillow has an established record with using vehicles unlawfully, including a 2015 charge of unlawfully driving away a motor vehicle. While out on bond for the current case in Cass County, Pillow committed new auto theft and drug offenses in Elkhart County, Indiana. He has yet to be sentenced for these charges.

According to Pillow’s attorney, Pillow suffers from drug addiction and was under the influence at the time of the incident, which clouded his judgement.

Pillow took the opportunity to address the court Friday morning, telling the judge that he has been attending classes while in jail and is currently five credits away from graduating college. Pillow added that he has also learned a number of personal lessons from his time in jail.

“First of all, I want to say sorry to the justice system and sorry to Cass County,” Pillow said. “I’m done with everything. I’m done with drugs. I’m done living this life. I just want to move on with my life.”

Judge Herman thanked Pillow for his comments, saying that he believes the 22-year-old is young enough to makes changes in his life and begin on the right path.

Because Pillow said he wanted to move forward with his life, Herman adopted the recommendation that Pillow be able to serve his sentence in any prison, meaning that he will be able to go back to Indiana to address the theft and drug charges against him there. Any time spent in jail on those charges will count toward Pillow’s sentence in Cass County. Pillow also has received credit for 220 days already served toward his Cass County sentence.

“You need to seriously consider staying away from vehicles that are not yours. This is the third time around,” Herman said. “If you are serious about making changes, you’re fortunate to have a lot of good life ahead of you.”