By By MARCIA STEFFENS / Niles Daily Star
CASSOPOLIS -- The home of Leddrew Renard Smith, 37, 302 Sherman St., Cassopolis, was searched, after a "trash pull" by Cassopolis Village Police in the early morning of Feb. 25, 2003, showed enough evidence for a search warrant.
Smith was found by the SWAT team in his kitchen packaging cocaine and marijuana. Also found were five hand guns, a tazer stun gun and two semi-automatic rifles and over $8,000.
Smith, who is an employee of the City of Niles, had the support of his family and fellow employees. A 2001 car accident left him with back pain. He chose to medicate himself with cocaine.
In Cass County Circuit Court Friday morning, Judge Michael E. Dodge said Smith jeopardized a job he has had since 1989, a wife and three kids, for drugs.
Smith's attorney, Roosevelt Thomas told Dodge Smith had only a small amount of drugs, for personal use.
No scale was found to indicate trafficking, Thomas told Dodge, who responded with "there is a lot of incriminating evidence."
He was sentenced to 90 days in the Cass County Jail, with credit for two days, along with 18 months probation. He is to pay $450 court costs, a $60 DNA fee, and $60 state court assessment
In other sentencings:
A graduate of Niles High School, Marlin is attending Southwestern Michigan College on a scholarship studying welding.
He was sentenced to two years probation. He is to pay $40 a month in probation fees, $450 court costs, a $60 DNA fee, and $60 state court assessment on the cocaine charge. For the lesser charge, he is to pay a $40 state court assessment and a $500 fine. His license was suspended for 180 days.
He then took Michigan State Police on a high speed chase of 100 miles an hour through three counties. The chase ended west of Calvin Center.
This was an "improper reaction with violence and domination," said Dodge, to Fox's wife wanting a divorce.
He is to pay a $60 DNA fee, and $60 state court assessment, twice.
He was sentenced to 90 days in the Cass County Jail, with credit for 56 days for every count, to run concurrently.
He is also to pay a $200 fine, $450 court costs, and $40 state court assessment for each count.
He promised Dodge that he "wants to get his life together" and would not be seen in court again. "He was like a father who gave you a second chance," said Dodge, as he sentenced him to nine months in the Cass County Jail, with credit for 142.
He is to pay a $60 DNA fee, and $60 state court assessment, for each offense.
He was sentenced to two years probation with 78 days in the Cass County Jail, with credit for 78 days, on both counts.
He is to pay probation fees of $40 a month, $450 court costs, $350 attorney fees, a $60 DNA fee, and $60 state court assessment. His license was suspended for 180 days.
Gordon had gone to Virginia where he was being given food stamps and a car to search for work, which he hadn't found.
Gordon is to pay $600 probation fees, a $60 DNA fee, $60 state court assessment, $450 court costs, and $350 attorney fees. He also owes more than $9,000 in back support.