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  CASSOPOLIS — A homeless man with nearly as many convictions as years of life is going back to prison after being sentenced Friday in Cass County Circuit Court.

     Gary Lee Leiting, 54, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine as a habitual offender and was sentenced to 34 months to 20 years in prison. He has credit for 55 days served and must pay $198 in fines and costs.

     The incident occurred April 16 in the 100 block of North Front Street in Dowagiac. He was a passenger in a car that was stopped for traffic violations and was found to be in possession of over six grams of meth.

     This was Leiting’s 53rd conviction, he previously had 13 felony and 39 misdemeanor convictions. He has spent much of the last decade in prison on drunk driving, drug, resisting police and property damage convictions. He had been discharged from parole a little more than a month before this incident, on March 6.

     Assistant Prosecutor Jason Ronning noted that his office had signed on to a plea agreement that would have capped his sentence at one year in jail but that Leiting did not show up for his original sentencing date in August.

     Defense attorney Robert Kardatzke pointed out that this was a non-violent incident and that Leiting has medical issues. Leiting apologized for missing his first sentencing date and said he had been scared.

     Cass County Circuit Court Judge Mark Herman noted Leiting’s many convictions. “The prosecutor pointed out you are 54 years old and had 52 convictions, this makes 53,” he said. “You’ve a list of being over and over and over and over involved in the system.”

     “It doesn’t look like you have any intention of changing,” the court added. “The prosecutor agreed to one year in jail but you failed to appear. Once you skip out on your sentencing, the court is not bound to the agreement and you can’t withdraw it. I don’t see any other option, you deserve the top of the guidelines.”

     Judge Herman called his sentence reasonable and proportionate given Leiting’s history of criminal offenses, probation violations and absconding.