A Niles man will spend the next year inside a Cass County jail cell after stealing parts from a Howard Township garage while on probation.

Judge Michael Dodge sentenced Mathew James Lawson, 22, to 365 days in jail on charges of breaking and entering and larceny in a building on Friday in Cass County Court. Lawson previous appeared before the court on July 24, where he pleaded guilty to the charges.

According to the court, Lawson broke into the garage, located at Progressive Drive and Terminal Road, at some point between May 16 and 23, Dodge said. The owner of the property reported the break-in to the Michigan State Police
after discovering that several parts were missing.

“He stated that several catalytic converters had been stolen in the burglary, along with several batteries and some scrap appliances,” the judge said.

Authorities were eventually tipped off to Lawson’s involvement in the incident after the Niles man pawned several of the stolen goods at the Redbud Recycling Center in Buchanan.

“Although you initially lied to police about your involvement in this theft, they eventually gathered sufficient evidence to prove you were in fact responsible,” Dodge said.

Lawson has a growing criminal record, the judge stated, with two prior convictions in Berrien County for similar conduct. At the time of the theft, Lawson was serving a probation sentence for attempted breaking and entering.

In light of this fact, Dodge denied Lawson’s attorney’s request to have him serve another stint of probation for his actions.

“When a judge looks at a report like this a sees that another judge gave you a chance on probation, and you went out a committed a felony crime while on it, I’m not very inclined to say ‘oh, let’s try probation again,’’ Dodge said.

He was given 66 days credit for time already served.