By By NORMA LERNER / Niles Daily Star
CASSOPOLIS - With Arson Awareness Week ending on Sunday, a Niles man went to prison Friday morning for maliciously burning down his former home.
During a sentencing hearing in Cass County Circuit Court, Judge Michael Dodge told Michael Casey, 51, of 2014 U.S. 31 that arson is a serious crime. It puts those in danger who were summoned to fight his house fire. It could have spread to a nearby building, Dodge said.
Dodge recounted that on July 8, Howard Township firefighters were called to extinguish a blaze on Thompson Road in Niles. "It was a crime of anger," Dodge said.
He noted Casey's guideline range of 36 to 60 months requires prison unless he could find a substantial and compelling reason to deviate from it. Dodge said the court does not find a compelling reason and imposed a 40-month to 20-year term with credit for 30 days served.
Casey was convicted on April 8 for arson of a dwelling when he went back to his former home on Thompson Road and set a blanket on fire. He knew no one was home because his ex-wife, Cozetta Casey, was on vacation at Disney World in Florida at the time with their sixth-grade son.
Cozetta's sister spoke to the court and showed ruined family pictures found in the rubble that upset their mom and dad. She said their parents took "great pride in the family and children."
Cozetta sobbed with tears as she told the court that the fire shouldn't have happened. She said she would have had the home for her and their son to grow up in. She said now she lost everything, and her son doesn't have a house. "I've had my life threatened. The tires were slashed on the Jeep. He threatened to burn the house down. He did," she said.
Cozetta said her son wants to go home, but there is no home. She said there are lost memories such as her son's first hair cut, a tape of him first crying and countless pictures. It was the first time she lost everything, she said. "Now we have to live with this the rest of our lives. There is nothing I can do to change this. He (Casey) deserves the sentence he gets. There is nothing that can replace this loss. He burned his own son's house down," she said.
Defense lawyer Dale Blunier said it was an "emotional and difficult case." He said Casey was upset with the divorce. There are no words to say how sorry he is, Blunier said in asking for a term at the bottom of the guideline range.
Casey said he felt worse than his ex-wife and son. He said he raised his son and now won't be able to see him. He said he didn't intend to burn down the house. "I feel I lost my son," he said before Dodge imposed his sentence.
He is to pay $570 in court costs.
In other sentence hearings on Friday:
Tiffany Smith, 23, of Dowagiac (no address available) received two years of probation for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver on Maple Street, Dowagiac, on March 22. Dowagiac police found Smith to be in possession of 36 grams of marijuana in her car that she intended to share with a friend, Joshua Brooks, also of Dowagiac. She is to pay a probation supervision fee of $960 and $920 in court costs.
Richard Baham, 23, of 312 N. Front St., Dowagiac, received 180 days in jail with credit for 44 days served for unlawful use of a motor vehicle. He borrowed and sold a friend's Ford pickup truck on Vineyard Place, Dowagiac, on March 14. He is to pay $120 court costs and restitution of $110 for law enforcement costs.
Michelle Garrett, 37, 25933 Pine Lake St., Edwardsburg, received three years of probation for retaining a financial transaction device from her father on July 1, 2003, used it in the name of her deceased mother and racked up a bill of $6,788.58. She is to pay restitution of the credit-card amount, a $900 probation supervision fee and $900 in court costs.
Derek Grahl, 20, of 214 South Rowland, Cassopolis, received 18 months of probation and 60 days jail for fourth-degree fleeing a police officer Dec. 29 on M-60 in Cassopolis. Grahl was speeding east on M-60 when Cass County Sheriff's officers attempted to stop him. He continued to speed away up to 115 miles per hour. Dodge said he endangered lives of others and the police officers who were pursuing him. He is to pay a probation supervision fee of $180, $920 in court costs, a $350 fine and restitution of $83 for law enforcement expense.
Amos Mosher, 22, of 9710 Cedar Court, White Pigeon, received 240 days jail and three years of probation for possession of methamphetamine on March 22 when Cass County Sheriff's officers were dispatched to a home on Warren Street because of a breaking and entering in progress.
He was found in the mobile home with a female friend without consent of the owners. Mosher was in possession of methamphetamine and related paraphernalia. Mosher was a previously a victim of a methamphetamine explosion when he nearly died of burn injuries. He is to pay a $360 probation supervision fee, $920 in costs and a fine of $350.