On March 21, Timothy Lee Singleton, 58, was bound over to circuit court by 34th District Court Judge Brian A. Oakley for an arraignment on the information on a charge of armed robbery with a cane.
Singleton is due at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice on March 28.
He was lodged in the Wayne County Jail on a bond of $500,000/10% on a charge of armed robbery in Van Buren Township on Sept. 15, 2017. Judge Oakley approved a bond review by pretrial services.
Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Heather Kempton started the preliminary exam by saying the prosecution amends the charge that had said Singleton was armed with a handgun to say he was armed with a cane.
Ronald Rayford, the victim, was the only witness. He testified that on Sept. 15 he was on Old Michigan Avenue and Outer Drive in VBT when he was robbed by an acquaintance Tim and another younger man with a gun who he didn’t know.
He said he knew Tim for about a month because he stayed down the street with his sister. He didn’t know his last name, but he identified him in the courtroom.
Rayford said he had gone to a store to buy a pack of cigarettes and then was walking down the street to the Lucky 2 Party Store when Tim and his friend pulled up. They drove him to the second party store where he cashed his paycheck for $209 and bought two small bottles of vodka and took a little hit out of one.
He said he gave Tim’s friend, the driver, $5 to drive him to the Ypsilanti bus station. He said his sister needed to move a refrigerator from her house into the garage and he was going to help her.
But the driver made a wrong turn near Johnny’s Hot Spot and said he had to see his sister and drove to a trailer park and got out to talk to his sister, but no one was home. The three got back in the car, with Tim in the front passenger seat and Rayford in the back seat.
That’s when the driver reached under the front seat and got a gun and pointed it at Rayford, he testified. The driver took Rayford’s wallet, he testified, and then threw it on the ground when he found it was empty.
The driver told Rayford he knew he had money because he just cashed his check. Rayford testified he had the cash hidden in his sock
“If you don’t give me the money now, I’ll shoot you,” the driver said, according to Rayford’s testimony.
“I was scared cause I didn’t want to get shot,” Rayford testified.
He said Tim opened the back door of the car and hit him twice in the face with his cane and was going to hit him again, but the driver told him to stop. The driver said he would just shoot him “if he acts any kind of funny,” Rayford testified.
“I was going to give him my money,” Rayford said. After the driver took his money and his cellphone the two drove off and left him standing by the side of the road. He said a lady said, “Are you all right, sir?” and he told her that he’d been robbed and to call the police.
Court-appointed attorney David Lankford said Singleton striking Rayford had nothing to do with taking of the property and it was irrelevant to the progress of the crime. The crime was going to be completed anyway, Lankford said.
Judge Oakley said that was one of the most interesting arguments he has heard.
Prosecutor Kempton said that was for a decider of fact to decide downtown.
Lankford said the other guy had the gun. His friend was saying, “Don’t be stupid. Give him the money. … Context is important here.”
Judge Oakley said you can’t say he wouldn’t have given him the money if he hadn’t been whipped twice.
“The only way your argument is interesting is we can’t assume he knew Rayford was going to give up the money. It’s for a trier of fact,” Judge Oakley said, noting Singleton could have hit him to say, “Hurry up. Give us the money so we can leave.”
Anton Tarae Brooks
Anton Tarae Brooks, 25, waived his preliminary exam on charges of fleeing police in a vehicle and driving while license suspended in VBT on Feb. 13.
He is scheduled to be at circuit court on April 4. He is free after posting surety bond of $25,000/10%.
Zachary Dane Rochowiak
Zachary Dane Rochowiak, 28, waived his preliminary exam on a charge of assaulting a police officer in the city of Belleville on Feb. 6. He is due in circuit court on April 4. He is free after posting bond of $4,000/10%.
Scott David Matthews
A felony domestic violence charge against Scott David Matthews, 35, was dismissed by Judge Oakley after the Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor asked for the preliminary exam to be adjourned because Officer Harrison, who was a necessary witness, wasn’t present.
Judge Oakley said he scheduled that day’s exam on March 6 and the prosecutor should have known before today (March 21) that the officer wouldn’t be here. The prosecutor said she learned on Monday that the officer wouldn’t be here and she sent on the notice by email.
Judge Oakley said he has dismissed Matthews’ charge without prejudice so it could be refiled in the future. Matthews had been held in the Wayne County Jail on cash/surety bond of $15,000.
The alleged crime occurred on March 5 in VBT.
Judge Oakley told Matthews that there was $465 still owed by him on a misdemeanor charge and Matthews said he would pay $50 a month starting April 2.
Terence Leroy Riley
Terence Leroy Riley, 41, waived his preliminary exam on two charges of uttering and publishing on Oct. 9, 2017 in VBT. He is free after posting $2,000/10% bond. He is due at circuit court on April 4.
Billy Joe Hicks
Billy Joe Hicks, 36, had been charged with uttering and publishing in VBT on Sept. 26 and was lodged in the Wayne County Jail on a bond of $10,000/10%. Judge Oakley dismissed the charge against him because the prosecutor said it did not occur in the court’s venue.
Kevin Michael Jarvis
Kevin Michael Jarvis, 32, waived his preliminary exam on charges of child abuse 3, resisting/obstructing/assaulting a police officer, and domestic violence on Feb. 23 in VBT. He is due at circuit court on April 4. Jarvis is free on personal recognizance bond of $20,000.