CASSOPOLIS — The first of a trio of Edwardsburg men responsible for a string of home invasions in the area faced his sentencing Friday at Cass County Circuit Court.

Timothy Baker, 21, was sentenced to three to five years in prison with credit for 70 days already served. He was also ordered to pay $4,638 in restitution.

Baker pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit home invasion and two counts of home invasion in January.

The charges stemmed from a series of home invasions from Sept. 28 to Dec. 31 of last year.

Baker admitted to breaking into homes on Eagle Lake Drive and North Shore Drive in Edwardsburg.

Several of Baker’s family members and friends submitted letters of support to the court.

Judge Michael Dodge said the letters painted Baker as a “good family man.”

“But you’ve done a lot of bad things and victimized a lot of people,” Dodge told him.

Dodge further described Baker’s actions as “random and lawless behavior.”

Thomas Evans, the Barry County prosecutor, was the special prosecutor for the case, since Baker’s co-defendant Thomas Blunier is the son of Cass County public defender Dale Blunier.

Evans said Baker is a young man and this is his first criminal offense, but the serious nature of the crimes warrants significant punishment.

“The victims will suffer possibly the rest of their lives,” he said.

Evans recommended a three- to 15-year sentence but also said some of the victims wanted to see him recommend a lengthier prison term.

For his part, Baker was remorseful.

“I apologize to the victims for the pain and hardships I’ve caused,” he said. “I deserve the consequences I receive.”

Defense attorney Lawrence Quigley said Baker is married with two children and said the convictions have been “a real wake-up call to him.”

Baker’s co-defendants, Blunier, Cody Price and an unnamed juvenile, still await their sentencings.