A Dowagiac man who relapsed into his cocaine habit only two months into his probation sentence will spend the next several months in Cass County Jail.

Cass County Circuit Court Judge Mark Herman sentenced 55-year-old Theron Black to 365 days behind bars on a charge of possession of cocaine during his appearance in county court Friday. Black pleaded guilty to the charge on April 13.

Black was arrested on April 5, after officers with the Cass County Drug Enforcement Team and the Michigan Department of Corrections conducted a search of the man’s residence on Chestnut Street in the city.

Police performed the investigation as part of a routine visit, as Black was serving a two-year term of probation at the time. Black was in his second month of the sentence, placed under court supervision in February by Herman for another possession of cocaine charge.

His most recent conviction is the fourth cocaine-related crime on his record, which dates back to 1980, Herman said.

“The defendant is currently 55 years old, and has been before the court probably more times than he would like to admit,” said Chief Assistant Prosecutor Tiffiny Vohwinkle. “A lot of that is due to controlled substance abuse.”

Given how quickly he relapsed into his most recent stint of probation, the prosecutor argued that Black would not longer make a suitable candidate for court supervision. She instead asked for the judge to impose incarceration.

Black’s attorney, Robert Drake, told the court that, while his client’s drug issues needed to be addressed, the Dowagiac man is no hardened criminal. He currently owns a home, and was very cooperative with police following his arrest, Drake said.

“His first concern when I met him was finding someone to take care of his cat,” the attorney said. “That may seem frivolous, but it tells me something about his character. He’s not a bad guy.”

Black also spoke during Friday’s hearing, telling the judge he took responsibility for his relapse and needs to conduct himself better in the future.

While praising the defendant for the positive elements in his life, Herman said he was troubled not just by how quickly Black found himself in hot water again after his last conviction but that Black denies that he has an addiction problem and claims that he uses cocaine and other drugs to cope with depression. Herman urged the defendant to come to terms with the reality of his drug problem, or else Black will continue to find himself behind bars.

“I can’t imagine you enjoy it,” Herman said. “I have to imagine that, at your age, it gets harder each time. There are more important things you can be doing in life than this.”

Black was given credit for 65 days already served behind bars.