Thomas Michael Johnson, 51, of Van Buren Township, was due to show up at 34th District Court on July 5 to face a new charge of receiving and concealing stolen property, but he was a no-show.
Judge David Parrott issued a bench warrant for Johnson’s arrest.
Later, it was discovered that Johnson already was in federal custody, having been arrested for being in possession of a handgun that had been stolen during the rash of Denton subdivision break-ins earlier this year.
On June 14, Judge Parrott approved the request of Johnson’s court-appointed attorney Jeffrey Bowdich for an adjournment to July 5, because Bowdich had just been appointed and needed time to prepare the case.
Bowdich also had represented Johnson in a recent case where Johnson pled guilty to one charge of receiving and concealing, in a plea deal that dropped two additional receiving and concealing charges.
On June 7, Judge Tina Brooks Green sentenced Johnson to one year of probation, eight days on the court work program, $700 in restitution to the victim, and $525 fines and costs.
On June 14, Johnson told Judge Parrott that he now has a job and has been working for a week at $11 per hour. He said he pays $36 per week in child support and presently is living with his parents.
Johnson was arrested April 4 by Van Buren Township Police when he was seen carrying a stolen flat-screen TV to his then-residence in the 6500 block of Parkside in Town and Country mobile home park.
Police executed a search warrant at his residence and a large cache of jewelry and electronics were seized, along with prescription narcotic bottles from prior break-ins in Denton Subdivision – and, apparently, a handgun.
Police had been investigating the rash of home invasions in the Denton Subdivision area from November through April amid public uproar.