CASSOPOLIS — A Niles woman who took part in the home invasion of a Dowagiac area residence on New Year’s Day is going to prison after being sentenced Friday in Cass Circuit Court.

Debra Deanne McDaniel, 37, of Barron Lake Road in Niles, pleaded guilty to second-degree home invasion and was sentenced Friday to three to 15 years in prison. She must also pay at least $8,700 in restitution as well as $2,048 in fines and costs. She has credit for 183 days already served. More restitution of more than $18,000 could be ordered later.

McDaniel was given credit for time served, 183 days, for three other felonies: conspiracy to commit larceny of a firearm, unlawful driving away of an automobile and larceny in a building. She must pay $204 in connection with those charges.

The incident occurred Jan. 1 at a home on Wilbur Hill Road near Dowagiac. McDaniel and her co-defendant, Michael Hatch, broke into the unoccupied home and stole guns, jewelry, a chainsaw and a Chevrolet Silverado. Hatch took a plea deal earlier and will be sentenced later this month. The two were caught due to a home security camera.

Cass County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Tiffiny Vohwinkle noted that McDaniel’s meth addiction led her to steal guns and other items which were then sold to give her money to buy drugs.

“These guns were then on the street which poses a severe danger to our local community,” she said.

Vohwinkle defended her office’s deal with Hatch, which calls for a maximum sentence of one year in jail.

“He did come in on his own and agreed to cooperate,” she said. “Without giving someone a deal, we wouldn’t get cooperation. … This was a serious offense, she was the one who knew the house as she had previously cleaned it.”

McDaniel acknowledged that she had let drugs take over and “catastrophically” ruin her life.

“You said you had fallen into the drug scene, but at age 37, there’s no excuse for you to fall into the drug scene,” said Judge Mark Herman. “You are old enough to know right from wrong. … I hope you are sincerely remorseful and make it a priority to make them whole.”

Other sentencings:

• A Dowagiac man with a history of domestic violence was sentenced to prison.

Troy Dwayne Burks, 53, of S. Front Street in Dowagiac, pleaded guilty to third offense domestic violence as a habitual offender and was sentenced to a prison term of two years, four months to seven and a half years. He has credit for 95 days already served and must pay $2,048 in fines and costs.

The incident occurred April 3, 2017, at a home on Grove Street in Dowagiac. A witness told police Burks had slapped and spit on his wife.

Burks told Judge Herman that his wife had mental problems and had actually attacked him. Herman noted that Burks had pleaded guilty to domestic violence despite his claims that he had not hit his wife. Herman also pointed out that Burks failed to appear in court twice since his plea last fall.

“You need to learn to control your temper and we will help you,” Herman said. “You don’t appear to consider failing to appear any big deal, but the court considers it a big deal.”

• A Niles woman who cut off her electronic tether will have the next year in jail to think about it.

Kim L. Brown, 48, of Niles, pleaded guilty to tampering with an electronic monitoring device as a habitual offender and was sentenced to 365 days in jail. She has credit for one day served and must pay $1,548 in fines and costs.

The incident occurred Nov. 28 when she cut off her tether bracelet after her probation officer ordered a drug test. The device was located at Beeson and Dailey Roads near Cassopolis.