Court Watching: ‘Good deal’ on PlayStation gets VBT teen in serious trouble

By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
What a Van Buren Township teenager thought was a “good deal” on a low-priced Sony PlayStation 3 brought him a world of trouble. And, it didn’t even work.
Ladale Combs, 19, was charged with receiving and concealing stolen goods less than $1,000 and was tried on the misdemeanor charge before 34th District Court Judge Tina Brooks Green on Jan. 28. Judge Green found him guilty.
There were four witnesses, including the original owner of the PlayStation, the store manager from Belleville Exchange, a police officer and Combs.
After all the testimony was in and Judge Green called the parents forward to talk to them, she made her decision.
“It was just a stupid mistake,” Judge Green said, after sentencing Combs to one year of non-reporting probation and payment of $400, which included court costs and restitution.
“When it seems too good to be true, it is!” Judge Green emphasized to him.
It all started at about 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 25 when Michael Holdstraw answered his door on Ash Drive in Van Buren Township. He said a man asked for his son and then pushed his way into his home.
He said three or four males came into his home and told the people in the home to get on the floor. Besides Holdstraw at home were his two sons, their friend, and Holdstraw’s fiancé.
He said two men were masked and one wasn’t. They took two iPhones, two Galaxies, a laptop, a PlayStation 3 with a game inside, and a wallet.
Under questioning by Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Blair Moody, Holdstraw said police gave him a lineup of pictures and he said he recognized one and pointed him out. It wasn’t Combs.
VBT Det./Sgt. Jeff Gueli said that Shelby Valentine earlier that day had waived his preliminary exam in that home invasion and was headed to circuit court in Detroit on Feb. 11. Valentine is charged with four counts of armed robbery, a charge of home invasion first degree, and a weapons charge. He was lodged in the Wayne County Jail on $10,000 bond, but has posted bond and is out.
Holdstraw said he did not recall seeing Combs at the home invasion.
Holdstraw did say his fiancé bought the white PlayStation 3 for him as a gift. It was a special edition and he still had the box for it, which contained the serial number.
The next witness was Det./Sgt. Gueli, who said he has been on the VBT Police Department for 27 years. He said he was assigned the home-invasion case for follow-up and Holdstraw provided him with a box for the PlayStation 3 that had the serial number in it.
Det./Sgt. Gueli said on Nov. 7 he entered that serial number into LeadsOnline and found that the stolen PlayStation 3 was sold to Belleville Exchange by Combs on Oct. 28 at 4 p.m.
He said he went to Belleville Exchange and they produced the PlayStation 3 and paperwork that showed they gave $60 cash for it to Combs. They had Comb’s driver’s license number, his home address on Madison Drive, and his thumbprint.
Gueli explained that he uses LeadsOnline two or three times a month to check on stolen items. He said LeadsOnline is open to law enforcement or anybody else who is interested as a way to try to reduce the sale of stolen goods.
“It’s a very reliable source,” Gueli said, noting you don’t need the serial number, but just the type of object.
He said after he retrieved the PlayStation 3 from Belleville Exchange and put it in the police property room, he and Det. Mark Buxton went to Combs’ home to talk to him about it. Combs came to the door and they asked him to come to the police department to talk about the PlayStation, but he said he had to get to school within an hour. He said he would come after 2 p.m. to talk about the item, but he didn’t come. So, they sought a warrant for Combs’ arrest.
In cross examination, Comb’s court-appointed attorney Jeff Bowdich asked if Combs was one of the suspects in mind for the home invasion and Gueli said Combs was not a suspect in that case.
The next witness was Ahmad Nasideh, manager of the Belleville Exchange store. He said it is a buy, sell, trade shop. He said a person brings an item in, and they determine what the store can sell it for and make a little bit of money and then buy the item. It is put in back for 15 days before being put up front to sell.
They enter the item into LeadsOnline to make sure it is clear and not stolen, he said. Nasideh said he took the PlayStation 3 in for cash, paying Combs $60. The sticker from the store was still on the white PlayStation 3 that was entered into evidence in the trial and identified by Nasideh.
“I would not take the item if I know it’s stolen,” Nasideh said. “As soon as we got the message from LeadsOnline that it was stolen, it was the same day the Van Buren Police came.”
When asked if he recognized Combs when Combs was in his store, Nasideh said he did. Nasideh said he used to work at Belleville High School and he remembered Combs as a student there. He said he also remembered Combs’ face linked with the PlayStation 3.
When Prosecutor Moody asked about the worth of the PlayStation, Nasideh said it was worth $200 to $250 brand new, in October it was worth $100 to $125, and now it’s worth $75-$100. He said October was just before the new PlayStation 4 came out.
Holdstraw said he had the receipt for the item and it cost $299.99, purchased new.
Defense attorney Bowdich called Combs to the stand to testify on his own behalf. Combs said he is a graduate of BHS and is taking two classes at Wayne County Community College.
Combs said he told his friends he was looking for a PlayStation 3 and Milly, a friend of a friend, called him. Combs said he didn’t know Milly, but he bought the PlayStation 3 from him for $50. He said he tried it and it was broken so he took it to the Exchange and sold it for $60.
He said he didn’t know it was stolen and he never saw Milly before or since.
Combs said he wanted to buy a PlayStation 3 but didn’t have the money. He put out the word he was interested.
Judge Green said if Combs bought the item at a store and it was broken, he would have a warranty and could call the store. She asked why Combs didn’t call Milly at once.
Combs said Milly wouldn’t answer his phone.
Judge Green said if the item was worth from $150 to $200 and Combs could buy it for $50, “You should have known it was stolen.”
He said he put a game disc in the machine and it made noises. He said he only tried one disk. It didn’t work.
“I didn’t think it was stolen. I thought I got a cheaper price,” Combs said.
Moody asked who he told he wanted a PlayStation 3. Was it Shelby Valentine? Combs replied, “Yes.” Was it Torry O’Bannon? “No.” Valentine was the one arrested for the crime.
Defense attorney Bowdich asked if when Combs met Milly somewhere to get the PlayStation, was the item wrapped or boxed? Combs said it wasn’t.
“So, you knew it wasn’t new,” Bowdich said and Combs said that he knew it wasn’t new.
Prosecutor Moody said Combs knew or should have known the item was stolen. And, he paid $50 for something worth much more. Although it is a circumstantial case, he said Combs should be found guilty of receiving and concealing stolen merchandise less than $1,000.
Defense attorney Bowdich said his client thought he got a good deal.
Judge Green said Combs didn’t ask any questions because he knew or should have known it was stolen.
Bowdich said they’re not sure if Milly bought it from someone else who stole it.
Judge Green pointed out police can’t find Milly.
Bowdich said his client, “… could have been a buyer in good faith.”
Judge Green found the defendant guilty and called his parents up to the front of the courtroom to find out what was going on in his life. They told her their son graduated from BHS and had good grades and now he was going to WCCC. The parents live together and their son lives with them.
Judge Green said she would use HYTA (the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act) to defer the sentence for a year and if he got in no trouble, the charge would be dismissed. She said she didn’t want him to have a criminal record.
“He’s a kid who did something stupid,” Judge Green said.
The original owner of the PlayStation, Holdstraw, said he had no problem with the sentence, since he is a father of sons, too.