Court Watching: VBT charges dismissed against BYC

Angela Mannarino, prosecuting attorney for Van Buren Township, on July 15, told 34th District Court Judge Lisa Martin that the township has come to a resolution with the Belleville Yacht Club on a criminal misdemeanor charge of violation of technical requirement.
At the remote pretrial, the BYC’s retained attorney Leanna Belcher said the two sides agreed the charges will be dismissed and everything finalized by Nov. 15, or another stop-work order could be put on the property.
Judge Martin said the dismissal is pending final approval by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy (EGLE) and Van Buren Township by Nov. 15 or the ticket may be reissued.
Scott Jones, resident agent of the BYC, a private men’s club, was virtually present representing the yacht club. At the April 15 remote pretrial, when Jones said he was representing the BYC without an attorney, Judge Brian Oakley told Jones that corporate defendants need an attorney.
At that court session, Jones asked to speak with an MIDC (Michigan Indigent Defense Commission) attorney and went into a zoom breakout room with Belcher, the court attorney. Subsequently, she was hired as a retained attorney in the case.
After they returned from the break-out room, Belcher advised the judge that the BYC has submitted paperwork to the state and she will forward that paperwork to Mannarino.
The BYC, at 831 E. Huron River Dr., was arraigned Feb. 4 on a criminal misdemeanor charge of violation of technical requirement.
This has to do with new docks that were being installed 75 feet out into Belleville Lake on Oct. 6 in violation of Van Buren Township ordinances and other building setback violations. A stop-work order was put on the docks, a violation written, and a complaint filed with Michigan EGLE, who also had not given a permit for the project.

Marjorie Venera Toins
On June 23, Judge Green adjourned the probable cause conference of Marjorie Venera Toins, 57, of Flint to June 30 because defense attorney Nancy Richards of the Neighborhood Defender Service just got the file and needed time to read the evidence.
On June 30, Richards said her client wished to waive her preliminary exam. At the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in Detroit on July 14, a calendar conference was set for July 23. On that date a pretrial was set for Aug. 20. On Aug. 20 the case was dismissed.
Toins had been charged with cashing checks for $500 or more with insufficient funds on Nov. 16 and Nov. 18, 2019 in Van Buren Township.

Sergio Luis Bellew
Scott Allen Hall
The probable cause conference of Sergio Luis Bellew, 26, of River Rouge, was adjourned from June 23 to July 7 in an effort to get his case in line with his codefendant, Scott Allen Hall, who had just been picked up on an outstanding warrant and incarcerated.
They are charged with robbing the Belleville Chase bank on April 16. Bellew also is charged with robbing a bank in Redford Township on April 15. Hall, 34, of Port Huron is accused of driving the getaway cars in both robberies.
Bellew was present before Judge Green on June 23 from the Wayne County Jail. His preliminary exam in 17th District Court in Redford Township had been set for June 29 and then reset for Aug. 17. Hall’s preliminary exam is at the same time.
Bellew and Hall were before Judge Martin on July 7, both from the Wayne County Jail and a live preliminary exam on the bank robbery charges was set for noon on Sept. 29.

Kevin Laverne Rowley
The live preliminary exam for Kevin Laverne Rowley, Jr., 24, of Wayne was adjourned from its June 23 scheduled date to Sept. 8 because the Belleville police officer in charge, Cpl. Kristin Faull, was not available due to training.
Rowley is charged with unauthorized driving away of a motor vehicle and receiving and concealing a stolen motor vehicle on June 1 when he drove off in a Belleville police car. He is free on personal bond and has been ordered to take his prescribed medication and nothing else and stay with his father in Wayne.

Nacole Lynn Booth
Nacole Lynn Booth, 46, of Sumpter Township, is charged with assaulting / resisting / obstructing a police officer on June 4 in Sumpter Township.
She is free on $10,000 personal bond. On June 30, her defense attorney Daniel Randazzo said he needs discovery, so Judge Martin adjourned the probable cause conference to July 14. On July 14, Booth waived her preliminary exam and was bound over to circuit court for an arraignment on the information on July 28, which was then reset for Aug. 12. A final conference now is set for Oct. 12.

Julius Robert Chatman
A preliminary exam was held before Judge Martin on July 19 for Julius Robert Chatman, 35, of Detroit. He was then bound over for an arraignment on the information at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice on Aug. 2. A calendar conference was set for Aug. 17 and the final conference is Oct. 26. Chatman is charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and domestic violence on Jan. 21 in Van Buren Township. He is free on $10,000 personal bond and is ordered not to return to an address in Parkwood.

Evan William Yoskovich
Evan William Yoskovich, 24, of Van Buren Township, pled guilty on Sept. 1 to one count of marine safety rule violation, the 100’ rule, at 6:19 p.m. Aug. 29, 2020 on Belleville Lake. He said he was in a busy part of the lake and a boat cut him off and he was too close to the shore and a DNR officer was there. He was fined $300.

Christian Latrail Thomas
Christian Latrail Thomas, 27, of Belleville, was scheduled for his preliminary exam on Sept. 1, but all charges were dismissed without prejudice by Judge Oakley on a motion by the defense. He had been charged with fleeing police in a vehicle, reckless driving, and failure to stop after a collision on Sept. 10, 2020 in Van Buren Township.