The pretrial for Abdifatah Abdikarim Ibrahim of Lavon, TX, was set for Nov. 2 before 34th District Court Judge Tina Brooks Green. He was charged with a moving violation causing death on Sept. 30 in Van Buren Township. He is free on $1,000 personal bond. He was present for his Oct. 12 remote pretrial and the pretrial was set for Nov. 2.
On Nov. 2, his attorney Randall Upshaw asked for a Cobbs plea consideration and Judge Green gave Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Bryn Bailey a week to discuss the plea with her office and adjourned the pretrial until Nov. 9. Judge Green noted that Bailey had not had exposure to this kind of thing before.
Two members of the victim’s family were present via zoom to observe the proceedings.
On Nov. 9, he pled guilty as charged to running a red light or multiple red lights on westbound Ecorse Road killing Mitchell Ronnie Lee on Sept. 30. Judge Green sent Ibrahim to the probation department for a report and said a sentencing date will be set.
At the sentencing, the three family members of the victim, who were present by zoom on Nov. 9, will be able to write a letter or speak their feelings.
“I’ve done four or five of these cases and they are terrible,” said Judge Green, noting both families are forever affected.
She said she prefers a lot of community service with youth as a sentence. Judge Green said it’s important for the defendant to tell his story in driving school, to tell the students to be very, very careful because if you miss a stop sign you could kill a motorcyclist.
“If I put him in jail, it’s not the most successful way to deal with this,” Judge Green said.
At first the sentencing was to be by zoom, but Judge Green changed her mind. “I’ll do this as live sentencing. I owe it to you and your family.” The date is yet to be announced.
Arion Joseph Ely-Dawson
Arion Joseph Ely-Dawson, 18, of Westland, had his probable cause conference adjourned from Oct. 12 to Oct. 19 because his defense attorney William Noakes did not have discovery.
Ely-Dawson was charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and failure to stop at a personal injury accident on Oct. 3 in Van Buren Township. His bond was set at $25,000/10% and he is to have no contact with the victim and wear a GPS tether if released.
On Oct. 12, Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Bryn Bailey told Judge Green that the victim told her that the defendant’s mother and another relative are having contact with her through her girlfriend. They are laughing and offering to pay for the damages. The victim allegedly was run over by the defendant.
Judge Green told attorney Noakes to tell his family to stop. She said the defendant is in the Wayne County Jail and isn’t doing it. She told Noakes to talk to his client and he said he would.
On Oct. 19, the case was adjourned one week to Oct. 26 because the attorney wasn’t present. Ely-Dawson said he had no contact with his attorney because the mail went to his father.
On Oct. 26, the defendant waived his preliminary exam and he was bound over to circuit court for a Nov. 9 arraignment on the information. A calendar conference was set for Dec. 22.
Dekenta Reshard Parchman
Dekenta Reshard Parchman, 30, of Westland, was scheduled to be arraigned by Judge Oakley on Oct. 6 on two bench warrants on charges of driving while license suspended and interfering with police at 5:20 a.m. Oct. 10, 2020 in Van Buren Township. The Wayne County Jail called into the court stating the defendant is in the hospital.
Parchman had been bound over to circuit court on Sept. 19 on charges he tortured a woman in Parkwood apartments in Van Buren Township. The arraignment on the information was set for Oct. 4, but was reset by circuit court to Nov. 18.
He was scheduled for a trial in 34th District Court on Oct. 20 on a misdemeanor charge out of Romulus, but he was in the hospital, so a pretrial was set for Nov. 3 via zoom. That was held and the case dismissed by the complaining party.
Jeremy Abraham Napier
Jeremy Abraham Napier, 48, of Romulus was due for his probable cause conference on March 23 on charges of larceny from a motor vehicle, forgery of license documents/plates, identity theft, and drove while license suspended on March 8 in Van Buren Township. The probable cause conference was adjourned until April 20. On April 20, Judge Martin set his live exam for June 1.
On June 1, Prosecutor Jane Gillis made an offer that if he pled no contest to one count of unlawful use of license plate and no contest to driving while license suspended, the other charges would be dismissed. He pled no contest and testified that he used a plate he was not authorized to use and drove while license suspended.
Then he apologized. His defense attorney Brendon Debolski said his client is 49 years old, was living in Romulus, and engaged to be married when his fiancé had sores and he drove her to the hospital and she was not yet home from rehabilitation.
Debolski said Napier put the license on the car to take her to the hospital, which was not a good decision. He should have called 911. He has four kids, two in college, and is a longtime Ford Motor Co. employee. Napier told Judge Martin that he is a tool and die worker, having worked his way up from the production line, and this is very embarrassing. He said he builds Ford Broncos at the Wayne Assembly Plant.
Judge Martin assigned $890 in fines and costs. She noted his felony has been reduced to a misdemeanor.
Fancy Lynn Letts
Fancy Lynn Letts, 29, of Van Buren Township held her arraignment/probable cause conference on March 30 before Judge Oakley on a charge of possession of methamphetamine / Ecstasy on July 22 in the City of Belleville. Her probable cause conference was set for April 13. She is free on $2,500 personal bond with a stipulation she must use no mood-alerting substances.
On April 13, her probable cause conference was adjourned to May 4. Her attorney Greg Rohl said she just had a baby and in another case she is getting sentenced to rehab.
On May 4 her probable cause conference was adjourned until May 18 because her attorney said there was the possibility of a resolution of the charge.
On May 18, Judge Green set a zoom preliminary exam for June 22 and on that date the exam was waived. She was bound over to circuit court for a July 7 arraignment on the information. At that time she pled guilty to the charge and sentencing was set for Aug. 9.
She was sentenced to 18 months of probation and fees totaling $1,198.
John Clifford-Warren Thompson
John Clifford-Warren Thompson, 46, of Romulus was due before Judge Oakley on March 30 for his arraignment and probable cause conference on charges of driving while intoxicated-3rd and driving while license suspended-2nd on Aug. 4, 2021 in Van Buren Township.
The defendant did not show up for March 30 court date and had no contact with his defense attorney. A probable cause conference was set for April 20.
On April 20, he waived his preliminary exam and Judge Martin bound him over to circuit court for a May 4 arraignment on the information. A calendar conference was set for June 1 and final conference for July 20 continued to Aug. 4 and then to Sept. 23. That was reset to Sept. 30.
On Sept. 30 he failed to appear and so a bench warrant for his arrest was signed.