CASSOPOLIS — A Niles man is headed to prison over $11.

Zachary Brooks, who committed armed robbery of a man in Howard Township in January, was sentenced to nine to 20 years in prison Friday in Cass County Court. He will receive credit for 58 days already served.

On Jan. 6, Brooks, 23, had his mother drive him to the Phillips 66 Express Mart on Detroit Road, where he approached a man leaving the store, threatened him at knifepoint and demanded all his money.

That turned out to be $11.

Brooks, wearing a black ski mask, then got back in the car and took off. Officers with the Cass County Sheriff’s Department were able to track the footprints and tire tracks to a home on Juniper Road near the gas station, where they found Brooks and arrested him.

“All this violence and threats for 11 bucks,” Judge Michael Dodge told Brooks.

Brooks has had a “career” of crime in Howard Township, according to Assistant Prosecutor Diab Rizk. The incident in January was Brooks’ third robbery.

“He’s a clear continuing danger to Michiana,” Rizk said. “His reign in Howard Township needs to come to an end today.”

Defense attorney Lawrence Quigley said Brooks has a substance abuse problem and had used before the crime.

For his part, Brooks was very brief.

“I apologize to the victim,” he said.

Due to his long past criminal history, nine years in prison was the bottom of the sentencing guideline range. The maximum he could have received was 22.5 years.

Sex offender sentenced

Also on Friday, Todd Zablocki of Niles was sentenced to five months in jail and two years of probation for failing to register as a sex offender.

Zablocki, who was convicted of third degree criminal sexual conduct in 1999, is required to verify his address with the Michigan Sex Offender Registry quarterly. This is the third time he has failed to report.