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NILES — A retired surgeon is heading to prison on criminal sexual conduct charges.

Berrien County Trial Court Judge Sterling Schrock sentenced Norbert Schwer, of Berrien Springs, to a minimum of 10 years to a maximum of 40 years in prison Monday morning.

Schwer previously pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

The charges stem from a July 18, 2020, incident, where Schrock said Schwer unlawfully entered the victim’s home and sexually assaulted the victim and tased them multiple times with a taser. According to Schrock, the victim ran towards the door in an attempt to escape before Schwer grabbed them and prevented them from doing so.

“It is my most important task this morning to express my deepest and most heartfelt regret for the criminal acts that I perpetrated against [redacted] and for the terrible consequences of these illegal acts,” Schwer said. “I wish to God that I had the power to erase and undo all these unlawful acts, and I deplore their consequences. Please accept my most sincere apologies.”

Upon release, Schwer is ordered to spend the rest of his free life on electronic monitoring and register as a sex offender. He must also pay $258 in fees and costs.

A retired surgeon, Schwer had specialized in general surgery for more than 30 years in the Michiana area. He earned his master’s degree of divinity in theology at Andrews University before graduating from Loma Linda University’s School of Medicine in 1988 with his doctorate of medicine.

In other news, Roy David Floyd Jr., of Niles, was sentenced to two years of probation following his guilty pleas to larceny in a building and unlawful use of a motor vehicle. Floyd must serve 75 days in jail with credit for 53 days and is forbidden from contacting the two victims.

“I take full responsibility for everything I’ve done,” Floyd said. “I wish I was a better friend to the people that were friends to me. I’m ready to get my life back on track.”

Floyd was ordered to pay $821 in fees and costs and also must successfully complete TRI-CAP’s probation program as a condition of his probation.

TRI-CAP is a Saginaw-based correctional facility with a drug treatment component.  According to its website, residents are sentenced to TRI-CAP by the court system because they have not been successful in a community setting while on probation or parole and would benefit from a more structured environment. Intensive substance abuse counseling in a supervised residential atmosphere is available there.

Austin James Imus, of Niles, was sentenced to one year of probation for fleeing/eluding third degree, a class E felony that carries up to five years in prison. Imus was also ordered to pay $658 in costs and fees.