By By MARCIA STEFFENS / Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS – The nightmares continue for Lynne Laubach, but two of the three men who caused them are on their way to prison.
"This was one of the most violent property crimes I have seen," said Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz, as he described the scene at the Phillips 66 Express Mart on M-60 in Howard Township in the early morning hours of Sept. 21. "It was like a suicide bomb."
Laubach began to lose control as she told of the 14 years of sweat and tears she and her husband Toby have invested in the station, seven days a week.
"I will never forget the 3:23 a.m. phone call," she said.
When they got to the store they found debris in the parking lot and what looked like a bomb had gone off in the front of the store.
"I will never forget the images of the large white pick-up crashing the front," she said of the store video tape. "We are not the same people … we were violated." The couple spent hours cleaning up and reconstructing the building, along with spending more than $40,000.
"They never gave a second thought to the owners," Laubach said.
Three, who were on drugs at the time, attempted to use a stolen truck to repeatedly ram the building in an unsuccessful attempt to steal an ATM machine, all for a mere $1,300 which was in the machine.
Eventually they drove away and abandoned the truck, when it broke down.
Friday, Circuit Court Judge Michael Dodge sent Ronald Polega, 32, 2477 Dick St., Niles and Thomas Holycross, 38, 2014 Roger St., South Bend, Ind., to the Michigan Department of Corrections for 57 months to 20 years. The third suspect, Michael Melton, is scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 12, 2007.
"This was brazen and very destructive," Dodge told Holycross, who had five previous felonies and four misdemeanors, and an attempted escape from prison.
Polega and Holycross were both given credit for 78 days and are to pay $60 Crime Victim fee, $60 state costs, $450 court costs and $350 attorney fees.
Both men will be responsible for the $51,389.14 in restitution, with $46,194.14 going to the station's owners and $5,195 to the pick-up owner of Elkhart, Ind.
Polega is also responsible for $45 in state costs and $13,358.51 in back child support.
In other sentencings Friday:
Jevon Bomer, 19, 314 Grove St., Dowagiac, delivered marijuana on April 19 and Sept 12 to undercover informants., on West High and North Lowe streets in Dowagiac.
Since he had a good record, having graduated from Dowagiac Union High School and was attending Southwestern Michigan College, Dodge suspended his 90 day, less two days, jail sentence so he could graduate in May.
He is on probation for two years and is to pay $10 a month probation fees, $120 Crime VIctim fee, $120 state costs, $450 court costs and $700 in fines. His license was suspended for 180 days.
Nicholas Crawford, 17, 70166 Kessington Road, Edwardsburg, was sentenced for his first felony for fleeing police on Aug. 17, on a stolen motorcycle, on Kessington Road in Cassopolis, traveling at dangerous speeding, according to Prosecutor Victor Fitz.
When Cass County Sheriff's deputies attempted to stop Crawford as he nor his passenger were wearing helmets, he took off, finally jumping off the bike and fleeing on foot. He was apprehended with the help of the canine unit.
The Constantine 10th grader's 150 days in jail, less 16 days, are suspended, if he stays in school, Dodge said.
He will be on probation for two years and is to pay $10 a month probation fees, $60 Crime VIctim fee, $60 state costs, $450 court costs and $350 attorney fees.
Daniel Tompkins, 18, 2737 Cook St., Niles, was put on probation for 18 months, from Criminal Sexual Conduct with a 15-year-old. on July 29, after both were drinking at a location on Carberry Street in Niles.
He is to pay $40 a month probation fees, $60 Crime VIctim fee, $60 state costs, $450 court costs and a $500 fine.
Jim Hickman, 37, 932 Oaklawn Estates, Elkhart, Ind. "fell of the wagon," according to his attorney Jim Miller. On June 15, on U.S.-12 in Union he plowed into a guard rail and went into a field, operating a vehicle with a .30 blood alcohol level.
He had minor injuries, while his drinking partner suffered a broken hip, nose and lacerated liver. Her medical bills were $152,976, according to Dodge.
If Hickman continues to stay in the treatment center and obey his two year probation, he won't have to serve the 365 day jail sentence, with two days credit, Dodge added.
Along with restitution, he is to pay $10 a month probation fees, $60 Crime VIctim fee, $60 state costs, $450 court costs and $350 attorney fees.
Elizabeth Edwards, 29, 1211 Superior St., ELkhart, Ind. was sentenced to 180 days, with 56 days credit, for using her mother's ATM card on North Front Street in Dowagiac on July 7, to make three withdrawals of $400., causing the account to overdraw.
She is to pay $60 Crime Victim fee, $60 state costs and $500 restitution.
Lawrence Macon, 47, 220 Hilton Street, Dowagiac, was sentenced to 365 days in jail with credit for 81 days served for home invasion on Sept. 3, while he was on probation from Cook County, Illinois.
He is to pay $100 to the victim of the apartment on Graham St. which he invaded and $60 Crime Victim fee and $60 state costs.