Court Watching: Suspect in two VBT murders bound over to circuit court

Lionel Lamont Vincent, 48, of Pontiac, held his preliminary exam before 34th District Court Judge Tina Brooks Green on June 15 and was bound over to the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice for his arraignment on the information on June 29.
Vincent was brought from Ionia by Michigan Department of Corrections to face two homicide charges for allegedly killing a mother and daughter in Van Buren Township on July 25, 2021. Bond was denied in the murders.
He is being held on pending charges of violation of probation on a previous charge.
Vincent is accused of murdering Yachanda Snipes, 45, and her daughter Dacara Leatherberry, 14, in their home in the 46000 block of Lake Villa Drive within the Belleville Pointe apartment complex late July 25, 2021. The two reportedly died of multiple injuries.
Van Buren Township Police Detective Mike Long said Vincent was the suspect from the beginning and the victim was an Uber driver at the time they met. Det. Long said the state held Vincent for possible parole violation because of the VBT police investigation. He was wearing his GPS ankle monitor, required for his parole, at the time of the killings, police said.
According to the Michigan Department of Corrections, Vincent was paroled Sept. 22, 2020 after serving 27 years in prison for an Aug. 25, 1994 kidnapping and rape, using a weapon to commit a felony and various other weapons charges, in Oakland County. He was convicted in a jury trial.

Raymond Anthony Jackson, Jr.
Raymond Anthony Jackson, Jr., 32, of Southfield is charged with kidnapping and aggravated indecent exposure on May 14 in the Metro Airport parking structure with a bond of $10,000/10%. He also is charged with assault to do great bodily harm less than murder and two counts of criminal sexual conduct-2nd degree (during felony) May 17, also at the airport parking structure. His bond on this was set at $150,000 cash or surety. He appeared by zoom for his probable cause conference before Judge Martin on June 15. His live preliminary exam on both cases is scheduled for July 27.
At the June 15 court session, defense attorney Tyrone Bickerdt said his client has been in custody since June 2. He has an associate’s and bachelor’s degree and a full-time job in Romulus. He asked for his client to be released with a GPS tether.
Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Carley Kocks objected to a reduction in the bond. She said he is a danger to society and is targeting women at an airport. He is a danger to women and his bond should actually be increased, she said.

Devin Michael Beach
On June 15, Devin Michael Beach, 25, of Sumpter Township was bound over to circuit court for an arraignment on the information at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice on June 22. His live preliminary exam was before Judge Lisa Martin.
He is charged with fleeing a police officer in a vehicle-4th degree and drove while license was suspended on Aug. 14, 2021 in Sumpter Township.
Beach previously was arraigned and bound over on three other cases involving assaulting a police officer, fleeing in a vehicle from a police officer, and driving off in a pizza delivery truck and is awaiting final conferences on July 6 on those three.

Willis Lavell Cherry
Willis Lavell Cherry, 49, of Ypsilanti was charged with armed robbery on Jan. 12, 2020 in Van Buren Township. His probable cause conference was set for Oct. 6 and then it was set for Oct. 20. On Oct. 20, his live preliminary exam was set for Dec. 1. The exam was held and the armed robbery charge dismissed by Judge Green. He was bound over on an added charge of assault and was scheduled for his arraignment on the information at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice on Dec. 15. This was delayed until Dec. 20 and then again to Jan. 6. A final conference was set for Feb. 23 and then reset by the court for April 14. He is free on $5,000 personal bond and is not to contact the victim.

Andrea Lashawn Ward-Patrick
Andrea Lashawn Ward-Patrick, 33, of Canton Township, had her preliminary exam set for Jan. 5 on a charge of receiving and concealing a stolen motor vehicle on Sept. 21 in the City of Belleville. She was free on $5,000 personal bond and could have no contact with the victim. Her probable cause conference was held Oct. 6 before Judge Oakley.
Her attorney Andrew Sullivan told Judge Oakley on Jan. 5 that his client was in the hospital with emergency surgery planned on her fractured foot. The preliminary exam was adjourned until March 23, when the exam was held and she was bound over to circuit court. An arraignment on the information was set for April 6 at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice. Then a calendar conference was set for May 18 and pretrial for June 1, reset to June 28.

Christopher Nathan Eugene Collins
Christopher Nathan Eugene Collins, 19, of Van Buren Township had his preliminary exam set for Oct. 25 on a charge of aggravated stalking on June 1, 2021 in Van Buren Township.
His new defense attorney Cameron Bell asked Judge Oakley to remove his client’s GPS tether. He said Collins had not violated his bond restriction of no contact with the complaining party and no return to an address on Belleville Road. He said the tether caused Collins to miss work because the alarm went off and the county had to come and rectify the device.
Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Darrian Fortier said she objected to removing the tether because the charge is aggravated stalking and he had violated a personal protection order because he can’t stay away.
Judge Oakley left the $3,000/10% bond as is, with the tether in place along with the no-contact order and the order not return to Leo’s Coney Island.
On Oct. 25, after a preliminary exam, Judge Oakley bound him over to circuit court for an arraignment on the information. This case is pending in 3rd Circuit Court.
Collins also had remote pretrials scheduled for Nov. 4 on two misdemeanors. One was malicious use of a phone on May 9, 2021 and disorderly person on May 27, 2021 both in Van Buren Township. The final pretrials were set for Dec. 2. On Dec. 2 the final remote pretrials were set for Jan. 20 and then reset for March 3 and then to April 7. He is scheduled for a remote pretrial on June 16.
Corey Eugene-Ross Thomas
Corey Eugene-Ross Thomas, 41, of Ypsilanti was present for his Oct. 13 probable cause conference by zoom from the Macomb County Jail. He said he had been in custody for a month and had 20 more days to serve. Judge Oakley gave him credit for time-served on a 2016 disorderly person charge that was pending at 34th District Court.
Thomas waived his preliminary exam on a charge of operating while intoxicated – 3rd offense on Aug. 21 in the City of Belleville and Judge Oakley bound him over to circuit court for an Oct. 27 arraignment on the information. A calendar conference was set for Nov. 12 and a final conference for Jan. 10 extended to Feb. 3. At that time a guilty plea was accepted and sentencing set for Feb. 18. Thomas was sentenced to 20 months to five years in state prison and total fees of $1,898.

Lionel Jamar Sullivan
Lionel Jamar Sullivan, 34, of Van Buren Township was arraigned Oct. 12 on charges of assault to do great bodily harm less than murder and domestic violence in Sumpter Township on Oct. 9. His probable cause conference was set for Oct. 20 and then adjourned to Oct. 27. The preliminary exam was set for Nov. 23. He posted bond of $10,000/10% and ordered to have no contact with the complaining witness.
On Nov. 23, Judge Green dismissed the charges as requested in a defense motion. Case is closed.

Scotty Len Ostrowski
Scotty Len Ostrowski, 46, of Sumpter Township was arraigned Oct. 12 on a charge of carrying a concealed weapon on Oct. 10 in the City of Belleville. His probable cause conference was set for Oct. 20. He posted bond of $5,000/10%.
Since he was in custody in Belleville, he also was arraigned on two bench warrants for offenses on May 15, 2017 in Sumpter Township.
He was scheduled for a Nov. 23 remote pre-trial on charges of driving while license suspended and operating while intoxicated on May 15, 2017. He pled guilty to driving while license suspended and the other charge was dropped.
On Oct. 20, his attorney James Parker said he needs to apply to the gun board, a time-consuming procedure, so Judge Green adjourned the CCW case until March 9.
On March 9, a new defense attorney asked for discovery and the case was adjourned until March 23. A probable cause conference was set for April 6. It was held and the preliminary exam waived. Ostrowski was bound over to circuit court for an arraignment on the information on April 20. The calendar conference was set for May 9 and then reset by the court until June 3. A final conference is scheduled for July 1.

Jill Marie Peters
Jill Marie Peters, 42, of Ypsilanti failed to appear for her preliminary exam on Nov. 17 on charges of possession of methamphetamine and narcotics on March 14, 2021 in Van Buren Township and a warrant has been issued for her arrest.

Timothy Staniszewski
Timothy Staniszewski, 54, of Trenton failed to appear for his arraignment and probable cause conference Nov. 17 on two felony charges of operating while intoxicated-3rd and one charge of driving while license suspended-2nd on Oct. 1 in Van Buren Township. A notice that had been mailed to him from the court had been returned by the post office as undeliverable. On Feb. 4 a warrant was put out for his arrest.

Harold Adu-Warren Watkins, Jr.
Harold Adu-Warren Watkins, Jr., 47, of Ypsilanti, failed to appear for his arraignment and probable cause conference on Nov. 17 on charges of retail fraud and fleeing police in a vehicle on July 26, 2020 in Van Buren Township. A warrant for his arrest was entered into LEIN.

Fred Davis, Jr.
Fred Davis, Jr., 54, of Ypsilanti, failed to appear for his arraignment and probable cause conference on Nov. 17 on charges of retail fraud and assaulting a police officer on July 26, 2020 in Van Buren Township. A warrant for his arrest was entered into LEIN.

Marcel Sherard Austin
Marcel Sherard Austin, 46, of Van Buren Township waived his preliminary exam on Nov. 17 and was bound over to the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice for a Dec. 6 arraignment on the information. A calendar conference was set for Jan. 10 and then a pre-trial for Feb. 22 and reset by the court to April 4. A final conference was set for April 25, adjourned to May 25 and then to June 8 and June 26. He is charged with assault and child abuse 3rd degree on Sept. 27, 2019 in Van Buren Township.

Sierra Arteisha Strebel
Sierra Arteisha Strebel, 34, of Van Buren Township was arraigned by video while in custody at Van Buren Township police department on Nov. 24 on a charge of domestic violence on Nov. 21 in Van Buren Township. Judge Oakley set her remote pre-trial appearance by zoom for Dec. 8 and that was adjourned until Dec. 22. Conditional personal bond of $1,000 requires no contact with the victim.
On Dec. 22, the case was dismissed when the complaining victim failed to appear.