Court Watching: Joe Stafford gets 4-15 years for bank robbery in Canton Township

Joe Stafford, 55, of Powder Springs, GA, pled guilty to robbing the Chase bank at Michigan Avenue and Old Canton Center Road in Canton Township on Nov. 5 and will spend four to 15 years in prison.
Stafford also was charged with bank robbery at Belleville’s Chase bank on Nov. 7. In a plea deal, Stafford agreed to plead guilty to the Canton charge and the Belleville charge was dismissed.
He was given credit for time served of 202 days. Stafford has been in custody since the day he was apprehended by Belleville Police and arrested with the help of Van Buren Township police.
After his May 25 plea before Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Kelly Ramsey, Stafford was taken to the Charles Egeler Reception and Guidance Center in Jackson to transition into the prison system.
His earliest release date is Nov. 4, 2024 and the maximum discharge date is Nov. 4, 2035. Fees of $1,898 were assessed.
When Stafford was arraigned by Judge Oakley via Zoom from the Wayne County Jail on Nov. 18, he told Judge Oakley that he wanted no attorney. But, Judge Oakley said on a felony charge a defendant automatically gets an attorney assigned.
Stafford, a trucker, told Judge Oakley it didn’t matter how much bond he set because he didn’t know anyone in Michigan and couldn’t get anyone to pay his bond.
Court appointed defense attorney Samuel Churikian later told 34th District Court Judge Brian Oakley that Stafford’s case was quite complicated because he is on parole in Georgia. Churikian said he talked to Stafford’s parole officer in Georgia.
Belleville Police Chief David Robinson reported that at about 10:40 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, Belleville police were dispatched to the Chase bank at 465 Main St. on a report of a robbery in progress.
He said police officers from Belleville and Van Buren responded but the suspect was gone when they got there. He said it was determined that the suspect entered the bank and presented a note to the teller demanding money.
Although unspecific violence was mentioned, there was no weapon seen or implied, Chief Robinson said.
Due to a quick response and information sharing, a potential suspect was located near Horizon Park. Investigative efforts determined that this suspect was the perpetrator of the bank robbery and he was taken into custody.
Stafford was arrested and arraigned on one count of bank robbery with the included enhanced charge of habitual offender – fourth offense.
Then, the bank robbery in Canton was also tied to Stafford.
Chief Robinson said in regards to the sentence, “It is common when there are the same crimes in different jurisdictions within Wayne County, the Prosecutor will drop one of the charges in exchange for a guilty plea, being that the sentences would run concurrently anyway. What’s important is the perpetrator was arrested and is held accountable for his crimes.”