CASSOPOLIS — A Berrien Springs man found with drugs and stolen property inside a Dowagiac home is going to prison.

Justin Michael Miller, 22, of West Julius Street in Berrien Springs, pleaded guilty to possession of meth and receiving and concealing stolen firearms. He was sentenced Friday in Cass Circuit Court to two concurrent terms of 40 months to 10 years in prison. He has credit for 172 days already served and must pay $1,676 in fines and costs.

He also pleaded guilty to delivery and manufacture of a controlled substance and was sentenced to credit for time served, 172 days, and $68 in fines and costs.

The incident occurred Sept. 10 at a home in the 200 block of East High Street in Dowagiac. Police searching the home found a stolen weapon, a large bag of marijuana, scales, cash and drug paraphernalia.

“You said your parents put drugs first, ahead of you and you’re doing the same thing,” Cass Circuit Judge Mark Herman said. “You say you use meth but you don’t have a substance abuse problem. Look around you, at where you are.”

“We had a sentencing agreement of a minimum 40 months in prison,” Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Hubbert said. “One of the big factors was the involvement of a firearm. That’s especially serous when you’re dealing drugs. … He’s certainly old enough to know he shouldn’t be selling drugs and have a gun.”

“It’s unfortunate that he’s got himself in a pickle at such a young age,” defense attorney Greg Feldman said. “He needs to change his life.”

When given the chance to speak, Miller said he wants to move on from this incident and be a better person.

In other sentencings, area residents were sentenced on drug, assault and other charges.

• Michael William Emboden, 49, of Third Avenue in Dowagiac, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine as a habitual offender and was sentenced to 365 days in jail. He has credit for 149 days already served and must pay $1,548 in fines and costs.

The incident occurred Oct. 4 at his Dowagiac home when police found the drugs when they were searching for stolen property. Judge Herman sentenced him below the guidelines which called for a prison term because he said the guidelines were too heavily weighted by Emboden’s past criminal history which includes seven felonies.

• Justine Renee Blad, 44, of Cayuga Heights Lane in Niles, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and was sentenced to two years’ probation, 120 days in jail, 120 days SCRAM tether and $1,998 in fines and costs. She has credit for 54 days already served and can have the rest suspended if she attends an out of state treatment program.

The incident occurred Dec. 9 when she stabbed her ex-husband in the stomach with scissors at a home in Milton Township. She was drunk at the time with a blood alcohol level of .271.

• Joseph Carlos Rainey, 41, of S. 13th Street in Niles, pleaded guilty to possession of meth and was sentenced to 18 months’ probation, credit for 76 days in jail served and $1,608 in fines and costs. He was given credit for time served, 76 days, and $300 in fines and costs for possession of marijuana.

The incident occurred Nov. 6 when he was stopped on M-51, north of Niles. He initially gave a false name and then ran from police.

• Tony Seay, 32, of Louise Street in Dowagiac, pleaded guilty to lying to a police officer about a crime carrying a maximum penalty of four years or more and was sentenced to two years’ probation, credit for 124 days already served, 90 days SCRAM tether and $1,788 in fines and costs.

The incident occurred April 14, 2017, when he claimed two people had assaulted him outside Northside Liquor on N. Front Street in Dowagiac.