Court Watching: Belleville resident bound over to circuit court on 10 drug, firearm charges

On Oct. 25, after holding a preliminary examination on the charges, 34th District Court Chief Judge Brian Oakley found there was probable cause to bind Timothy Ryan Frye, 37, of Belleville over to circuit court for an arraignment on the information. Frye was due at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in Detroit on Nov. 8.
Frye is charged with three counts of controlled substance, second offense (double penalty); two counts of carrying a concealed weapon, two counts of possession of ammunition by a felon, and four weapons counts on April 14 in the City of Belleville.
The case was brought by the Western Wayne Narcotics team made up of eight police officers.
Michigan State Police Trooper Keller, who was part of the team, testified that Frye was taken into custody after a traffic stop of his black Ford Fusion. A warrant was served for a search of his apartment on Wexford Street.
The officer listed what was found in a black backpack in Frye’s vehicle trunk. That included an automatic pistol with the registration numbers obliterated, a black Taurus handgun, a loaded magazine, narcotics, methamphetamine, magnetic boxes that are used to hide under and in vehicles to evade detection, and a monster can with a screw-off lid with a void within for hiding substances. He also said there was a digital scale and pick, and a non-firearm weapon (silver, double-edge brass knuckles with a blade). He also listed 173 Xanex, 37-plus oxycodone, and 55 grams of methamphetamine.
Under cross-examination, the officer testified the vehicle was pulled over within a couple blocks of the Wexford Street residence.
Det./Sgt. Amy Smith of the Van Buren Township Police Department, who has been assigned to the MSP Narcotics Team for the last three years, testified how the substances were field-tested.
Defense attorney Jonathan Hordos said the search warrant doesn’t name the vehicle for a search, just the property. Among other objections, he also pointed out that nobody identified defendant Frye as the person who was pulled over and had all these things in his vehicle. Those present to testify could not identify him and it was all here-say, Hordos said.
Judge Oakley agreed that nobody said, “That’s the guy.” He paused the preliminary exam while the prosecutor called Belleville Police Department to get Officer Bart Devos to come in to testify.
Officer Devos testified he retired from the VBT police department and was working for Belleville Police Department on Aug. 8.
He said he was on patrol and had a communication from Amy Smith concerning the search warrant and he conducted the traffic stop. He said he stopped the black Ford Focus with one person in the vehicle. He pointed to Frye as the driver. He said he assisted in the search of the vehicle when the gun and drugs were found.
Under cross-examination he testified that he had met Frye before. When asked if he had a body cam, Officer Devos said he has a brand-new body cam that came in four or five months ago.
He testified he had been warned that Frye was possibly armed and dangerous, so he was looking for a weapon after he handcuffed him and put him in the back of his car.
Judge Oakley said he now had probable cause to bind Frye over to circuit court.
Jason Allan Armstrong
At his probable cause conference on Oct. 13, Jason Allan Armstrong, 34, of Van Buren Township had his live preliminary exam set for Dec. 6.
Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Darrian Fortier said she would get the digital evidence needed in the case to give to the defense attorney. Her motion in the case concerning his weapons was denied by 34th District Court Chief Judge Brian Oakley.
Armstrong is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, felony firearm, and domestic violence on Dec. 29, 2020 in Van Buren Township.
Prosecutor Fortier said the defendant’s firearms were given to his employer. She said she has a picture of Mr. Armstrong pointing a gun and asked defense attorney James Amberg if he wanted to see the picture. Amberg declined, saying it was from a video and he needed to see the whole thing, not just one shot, which could be misconstrued. He said his client wasn’t pointing it at anyone and could be just holding it.
Fortier said the defendant has easy access to firearms because of his employment.
Amberg said Armstrong is a federal agent and veteran and a victim of Mrs. Armstrong. He said his client had to turn in his service weapon because of these charges and now he’s on desk duty. He said Armstrong is usually flying around the world picking up nefarious criminals and bringing them back. Amberg said his client has been the victim of a series of false accusations by his former wife.
A charge of domestic violence against Armstrong last year was dismissed by Judge Green after a hearing and a motion by defense attorney Amberg.
Armstrong is free on $5,000 personal bond.
Barney Bernard Sullivan
Barney Bernard Sullivan, 42, of Highland Park was arraigned by zoom from the Wayne County Jail by Judge Martin on July 20 on a felony charge of domestic violence-third offense in Van Buren Township on June 26. Court attorney Dan Bitar served as defense attorney for the arraignment and told the judge that Sullivan is an actor in California and came back to Michigan and is living with his mother in Highland Park.
Judge Martin noted the Van Buren Township police requested a $10,000/10% bond for him and no contact with the victim. Bitar said Sullivan had posted $10,000/10% bond to Wayne County Circuit Court and was ordered to be on GPS tether for another domestic violence charge. Judge Martin ordered $10,000 personal bond for Sullivan and no contact with the victim. His probable cause conference was set for July 28.
On July 28, Judge Oakley set Sullivan’s zoom exam for 11 a.m., Oct. 18, and at that time he waived his preliminary exam and was bound over to circuit court for an arraignment on the information on Nov. 1, which was delayed until Nov. 4.