NILES – A South Bend man who broke into a downtown Niles store last summer is going to prison after being sentenced Monday in Berrien County Trial Court.

Frank Clark Sausman, 38, of South Bend, pleaded no contest to breaking and entering a building with intent to commit larceny and was sentenced Monday to 14 months to 10 years in prison. He must pay $198 in fines and costs and $9,500 in restitution. He has credit for 59 days already served.

The incident occurred July 8, 2017, at the Seven Days Party Store at Fifth and Sycamore streets in Niles. He got into the store by breaking through drywall in an adjacent barber shop. He stole cash from a safe as well as other cash in the store.

Sausman was arrested in March after his DNA was found on three $20 bills and a headlamp outside the store. He is also a suspect in numerous other burglaries in Berrien and Cass counties as well as St. Joseph, LaPorte and Marshall counties in Indiana.

Defense attorney Paul Jancha Jr. said Sausman regretted his actions and has been dealing with “significant” substance abuse issues.

In another sentencing, a former Buchanan resident was sentenced to probation and jail after paying for two vehicles from Tyler Automotive with checks written on closed accounts.

Roderick Taylor, 44, of Detroit, formerly of Fulton Street in Buchanan, pleaded guilty to false pretenses over $1,000 and under $20,000 and was sentenced to two years of probation, 150 days in jail, $1,198 in fines and costs and $2,296.91 in restitution. He has credit for 72 days already served.

The incident occurred in November and December 2016 when Taylor went into Tyler’s and said he had received an inheritance and wanted to buy two vehicles, a Chevy Tahoe and a Cadillac CT6. He and a woman with him, Tasha Young, were allowed to take the vehicles and bring back checks later.

The checks were found to be written on closed accounts. They also obtained another vehicle, a Cadillac, under similar circumstances from Tom Naquin Chevrolet in Indiana. All three vehicles were later recovered, one as far away as Dayton, Ohio, that had some damage to it.

Court records put the value of the two vehicles taken from Tyler’s at nearly $169,000 and the vehicle taken from Tom Naquin at more than $86,000. Restitution was ordered for towing charges, a cracked windshield and mileage expenses.

Young cooperated with police and was sentenced earlier. Berrien County Trial Judge Charles LaSata said Young had been duped by Taylor.

“She felt bad once it all unraveled,” he said.

“It took me a while to sort it all out,” LaSata said. “It was surprising and almost shocking that someone could pull this off and get $168,000 worth of cars on no account checks. This was quite the scam.”