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NILES — In Berrien County Court Monday, a Niles man was sentenced on drunk driving and computer charges.

Quantell Jabar Verse, 33, of South Fifth Street in Niles, pleaded guilty to drunk driving as well as to violating his probation from a 2020 conviction for attempted use of a computer to commit a crime.

Verse was sentenced to 12 months of counseling, credit for four days served and $1,085 in fines and costs on the drunk driving charge. He had his probation revoked on the other charge.

His past record includes a 2017 conviction for delivery/manufacture of marijuana, a 2016 conviction for delivery/manufacture of marijuana and a 2012 conviction for maintaining a drug house.

The drunk driving incident occurred June 19 at South Third Street and Bell Road in Niles Township.

Briseno reported that Verse is a hard worker and has never had any trouble getting a job. “It’s unfortunate that he wasn’t able to make progress on his probation sentence,” she said. “I certainly think he could do it. He knows what he should do, he knows he needs to get some help. He’s capable of getting that help even on his own without supervision.”

Judge Schrock told Verse he is either going to attend the counseling with no unexcused absences or he is going to be spending more time in jail. “Either you’re going to spend a whole lot of time in jail or you’re going to figure out what your priorities are,” he said.

“You can go to jail if you commit a crime or violate a court order,” he added. “There will be no calling in and wanting to reschedule, that’s what you already did. If you don’t do it, what alternative are you leaving me? You have 12 months of mandatory rehabilitation as required by the law.”

“You have a problem, you either do something about it or there’s a place where you can clearly be where you can’t get access to alcohol,” he said. “Clearly you are an intelligent person, but clearly you are not applying your intelligence in the right direction.”