Court Watching: Judge Parrott accepts plea deal for Michael Shores’ eight charges

34th District Court Judge David Parrott accepted a plea agreement for Michael Ray Shores, the Van Buren Township fire fighter who was facing eight misdemeanor charges for taking money to teach CPR to four employees of Van Buren Urgent Care and not teaching them.
On May 24, Shores pled no contest to one count of larceny by conversion and the other seven charges were dismissed. Shores originally had four charges for larceny by conversion under $200 and four charges of false pretenses under $200.
Retained defense attorney Michael Vincent said his client was pleading no contest to the charge, instead of guilty, for fear of civil liability.
Shores agreed to pay a total of $200 in restitution, which was the $50 each he took from the four complainants. Attorney Vincent said his client would write the checks that day. The total fees in the case totalled $845, which included the $200 restitution.
The case will be taken under advisement by the court for 12 months and if Shores stays out of trouble, the charge will be removed from his record.
The May 24 session before the court was labeled a hearing, since Vincent had said he was trying to work out a plea deal, but had been unsuccessful. On May 24, he indicated he was ready to go to trial and was seeking a court date for that.
But, behind closed doors, Judge Parrott told Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Greg Akaraz and defense attorney Vincent that he wanted the case settled that day and did not want to go to trial. There were two brief meetings in the judge’s chambers before Shores stood in front of Judge Parrott with his plea. Judge Parrott read the VBT police report silently to himself before accepting the plea.
Shores did not have to publicly admit to elements of the charge, but only to what was in the police report.
Each of the original charges is a 93-day misdemeanor. Shores had turned himself in, was arrested, processed, and arraigned by Judge Parrott. A not-guilty plea was entered and Shores was released on $5,000 personal bond.
Officer in charge of the case was VBT Police Lt. Charles Bazzy.
Shores was suspended from fire fighter duty without pay pending an internal investigation and he is expected to be terminated following the no-contest plea in court.
Kenneth Orlando Davis
Kenneth Orlando Davis, 25, was scheduled for his preliminary exam on May 24 on a charge of child abuse 3rd degree. The offense is alleged to have occurred on Aug, 2, 2015 in VBT. He is out on $1,000 personal recognizance bond. Officer Mark Buxton is the officer in charge of the case.
On May 24, he told Judge Parrott he doesn’t want court-appointed attorney David Lankford as his attorney and Lankford’s motion to withdraw from the case was approved by Judge Parrott.
Davis said he wants to represent himself, without an attorney, and so Judge Parrott set the preliminary exam for May 31 before Judge Oakley.
Alexzander Carson Wynder
Alexzander Carson Wynder, 23, waived his preliminary exam by video from the Wayne County Jail where he was lodged on $10,000/10% bond. Judge Parrott bound him over for his arraignment on the information at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice on May 31.
Wynder is charged with larceny in a building at Benito’s Pizza in Belleville on May 6 and possession of a stun gun. Belleville Officer Sarah Dzagulones is officer in charge of the case.
Belleville Police were seeking additional charges against Wynder for 18 or 19 larceny from auto incidents in the city of Belleville.
Timothy Eugene Winston
Timothy Eugene Winston, 60, waived his preliminary exam and Judge Parrott bound him over to circuit court for an arraignment on the information on June 7.
He faces charges of operating while intoxicated-third, driving while license suspended-second, and unlawful use of a license plate on May 11 in VBT. Officer in charge of the case is Jeff Stanton. Winston is free on $1,000 personal recognizance bond.
William Raymond Pitt
William Raymond Pitt, 32, waived his preliminary exam on May 24 and Judge Parrott bound him over to circuit court for a June 7 arraignment on the information for a charge of operating while intoxicated-third on April 17. He is free on $1,000 personal recognizance bond. VBT Officer in charge of the case is Michael Long.
Jamele Johnathon Belton
Armani Lavel Chivas Karo
Deantwuan Rayshawn Woods
Jamele Johnathon Belton, 18; Armani Lavel Chivas Karo, 18; and Deantwuan Rayshawn Woods, 20, who are charged with entering a home without permission in the 27000 block of Sumpter Road in Sumpter Township on April 29, were set for their preliminary exams on May 17 before Judge Green.
The three are charged with home invasion 1st degree. Woods is also charged with assault with intent to murder, assault with intent to harm, assault, weapon in a vehicle, and five counts of felony firearm.
All three are lodged in the Wayne County Jail and were brought to the court lockup but not into the courtroom because the preliminary exam was being adjourned.
Attorney Cliff Woodard said his client Karo didn’t have a record at all and could be let out on personal bond instead of staying in jail on a high bond.
Woodard said the attorneys were asking for an adjournment so that they would have time to study other videos they just got that day from Sumpter as evidence.
Bond reviews had been authorized for all three by Judge Brian Oakley on May 10. Karo is being held on $25,000/10% bond, Belton on $20,000/10% bond, and Woods on $100,000 cash bond.
Sumpter Detective John Toth is the officer in charge of the cases and he told Judge Green that he believed the charge against Karo will be amended to assault with intent to murder.
Belton’s court-appointed attorney Shawn Godwin asked for a reduction of bond for his client, but a woman in the audience informed the judge that Belton has a current open warrant in Wayne County. Godwin backed off of his request.
Judge Green asked what the story was here and Detective Toth said there was a group of four, including one juvenile who is being handled by juvenile court. A home invasion escalated. They kicked in the front door. The lady came home and tried to get their license number and their car came from the back toward her and a gun was put out the back window and Wood shoots at her.
“My client didn’t go in the house,” Woodard said of Karo.
Judge Green said she would not change the bond because she would not be hearing the case. She made sure “pretrial services” was put on the file so bond could be looked at.
She set the preliminary exams on the three for 10 a.m., May 31, before Judge Oakley.
Gary Louis Udovich
Gary Louis Udovich, 56, was due to be in court May 17 for his arraignment and probable cause conference on a charge of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree on a person under 13 on Feb. 28 in VBT.
But Udovich did not show up and a bench warrant for his arrest was issued by Judge Green. The Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor asked for a high bond to be set.
Udovich’s attorney William Maze said he spoke to his client earlier that morning and he said he would be late to court. After that when he called, he found his client’s cell phone was turned off and he hadn’t come to court.
Maze told Judge Green he wanted to withdraw from representing this client and the judge allowed it. VBT Det. Mike Long is the officer in charge of the case.
Dariusz Grzegorz Jaworski
On May 3, before Judge Parrott, Dariusz Grzegorz Jaworski, 47, had his probable cause conference adjourned until May 31. He is charged with operating while intoxicated-3rd and driving while license suspended-2nd in the city of Belleville on April 23. Jaworski is free after posting bond of $5,000/10%. Court-appointed attorney is Jeff Schwartz and officer in charge of the case is Kendra Rose.
Chester Herman Hill
Chester Herman Hill was facing his pretrial exam on two charges of domestic violence when his attorney Michael Vincent worked out a plea bargain on May 3 before Judge Parrott. Hill pled no contest to one count and the other count was dismissed with prejudice. The charge against him will be dismissed after nine months if he stays out of trouble. No battery counseling is required, but he was fined $795 and ordered to serve four days on the work program.
“A good person got caught up in an incident with his daughter and soon-to-be ex-wife,” Vincent told Judge Parrott.
The no-contact order against the daughter was lifted and the no-contact order against the soon-to-be ex-wife was kept in place.