Man heads to prison for break-ins, leading cops on chase in stolen car
BAY CITY, MI -- Less than a year after squandering his chance to avoid a criminal record, a 21-year-old man is heading to prison for burglarizing some houses and leading police on a chase in a stolen car.
Bay County Circuit Judge Joseph K. Sheeran on Monday, Feb. 27, sentenced Samuel E. Thomas to three concurrent prison terms -- 40 months to five years, and two stints of five to 15 years. The judge also ordered Thomas to pay $9,482.33 in restitution and gave Thomas credit for 170 days already served in jail.
Thomas in January pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree home invasion and one count of unlawfully driving away a motor vehicle.
"I'd like to say, I've been here for a while and I had a lot of time to think about my situation and what I'd done," Thomas said before the judge issued his sentence. "What I did was wrong and unacceptable. It was definitely the biggest mistake of my life. It's not a path I want to look toward or even go down. I'm young, I still have a full life ahead of me. I want to do better for myself and my family."
Thomas added he has a 2-year-old daughter. He asked the judge to give him a chance to prove he can do better.
Bay County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Huber countered Thomas already had a chance to prove himself, a chance he wasted. Thomas on June 9 completed a probationary term under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, which allowed his associated conviction to be deleted. The crimes which brought him before Sheeran on Monday were committed on Sept. 10, Huber said.
According to police reports contained in court files, police in the early hours of Sept. 10 responded to a burglary complaint at a home in the 2100 block of McKinley Street. A 66-year-old male resident told police he came downstairs at 3:15 a.m. and saw a light on in his closet that had been off previously. He then noticed his belongings had been ransacked.
Man accused of leading cops on chase in stolen car faces new burglary charges[1]
The man told police his and his wife's wallets had been gone through, with a total $420 in cash missing from them, court records show. He later noticed he was missing an Apple MacBook Air laptop computer and a Russell Athletics pants and shirt set.
Prior to the break-in's discovery, a Bay County Sheriff's deputy at 12:30 a.m. spotted a silver 2014 Chevrolet Malibu run a red light on McKinley. When the deputy turned on his emergency lights and attempted to stop the Malibu, it took off and led the deputy on a chase through Bay City's East Side.
Speeds exceeded 60 mph as Bay City police and Michigan State Police troopers joined the pursuit, court records show.
Eventually, the Malibu came to rest in the 1000 block of North Birney Street. Officers pursued the driver, who left the car and ran on foot, court records show. Police spotted their suspect, identified as Thomas, as he was running east on Fourth Street from McLellan, then nabbed him as he ran north on Hampton toward Third, court records show.
In Thomas' path, police found a knife, a plastic bag containing large amounts of change, and keys to the Malibu. Inside the Malibu were three bottles of Shock Top beer, one of them open, court records show.
Police tracked the Malibu to a home in the 2200 block of McKinley. They spoke with a 61-year-old male resident, who did not know that his car was missing from his garage. His home had also apparently been invaded and his office rummaged through, court records show.
Missing from the house were $70 in rolled coins, $300 in euros, $150 in U.S. money, and a .44-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver, court records show. A damaged laptop lying on the ground bore a shoeprint on its screen that apparently matched Thomas' shoe as well, court records show.
Police were unable to recover the missing revolver.
"What you did was serious and dangerous and very disruptive to other people's lives," Sheeran told Thomas. "I'm surprised to see you committed these offenses. All I can do is hope you make the best of your time and come out with a better attitude.
"You've got a lot of potential for good, sir," he continued. "I hope you find it."
