Niles man sentenced for five to 15 years for multiple charges

Published 8:55 am Wednesday, June 5, 2019

NILES — A Niles man who lured a Buchanan youth via social media to a local truck stop to rob him is going to prison after being sentenced Monday in Berrien County Trial Court.

Rashawn Bradbury, 19, of Baldwin Drive in Niles, pleaded guilty to unarmed robbery and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and was sentenced to five to 15 years on the robbery charge and a consecutive two-year prison term for felony firearm. He must pay $796 in fines, costs and restitution.

The incident occurred Jan. 17 when Bradbury’s girlfriend contacted Taylor Navin of Buchanan Township via social media. The two met at JD’s Truck Stop near Buchanan when Bradbury came on the scene to rob him.

Rashawn Bradbury

Bradbury is currently on parole from a March 2017 prison sentence for carrying a concealed weapon. His new sentences will be consecutive to whatever sentence he has to serve for violating his parole.

“You are a very violent, dangerous and manipulative person, but also very smart,” said Berrien County Trial Judge Charles LaSata. “This should be a wakeup call about the dangers of social media. You and your girlfriend contacted the young man and met him at the truck stop. Suddenly, you appear to rob him.

“You’re a very violent person, you’re only 19 and you’ve already been to prison,” the judge said. “You’re throwing your life away. You won’t get out of prison for at least seven years and it’s all so very unnecessary. You’re a danger to the community.”

Bradbury apologized to his victim as well as his family.

“I want to apologize to the victim. I know I was wrong,” he said. “I also apologize to my family, I keep letting them down.”

Also Monday:

• Michael Daniel Blake, 35, of North 12th Street in Niles, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine and resisting and obstructing police and was sentenced to two to 10 years in prison on the meth charge and a concurrent one to two years in prison on the resisting and obstructing charge. He must pay $266 in fines and costs.

The incident occurred April 2 at a location in the 1200 block of Broadway in Niles and involved resisting and obstructing Michigan State Police trooper Ben Mahaffie.

Blake has credit for no time served as he is on parole from a 2015 second-degree home invasion prison sentence.

“You have been very heavy in the drug culture your whole adult life,” Judge LaSata said. “You’ve been a user and dealer for 16 years and it’s destroying your life. You started with marijuana and it’s now escalated into meth. … You were on parole from prison when you did this. Your criminal behavior needs to change and it needs to start with you.”

• Elijah Isiah Dortch, 18, of Evergreen in Berrien Springs, pleaded guilty to tampering with an electronic device and was sentenced to 12 to 24 months in prison and must pay $745 in fines, costs and restitution. He has credit for no time served as he is on parole from a 2018 breaking and entering sentence.

The incident occurred March 4 in Berrien Township when he removed his electronic tether unit.

• John Alan Johnson, 52, of no known address, pleaded guilty to resisting and obstructing police and was sentenced to 12 to 24 months in prison. He has credit for 61 days already served and must pay $1,088.63 in fines, costs and restitution.

The incident occurred April 2 at 3rd and Broadway in Niles when he resisted and obstructed Niles police officer Chad Mitchell.

“You are an absolute criminal abuser of the community,” Judge LaSata said. “The community is fed up with you, there is nothing in your probation report that is redeeming at all. You just take, take, take. You have 44 criminal convictions. You have nearly as many as your age.”