A second member of the “selfie squad” has been found guilty in Cass County court.

After a full day of testimony on Tuesday and the presentation of evidence by Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kirk Metzger, a  jury found Paris Banks guilty on Wednesday morning of second-degree conspiracy to commit home invasion, second-degree attempted home invasion and obstruction by disguise.

Last week, one of his co-defendants, Deon Goodwin, went to trial and was convicted of multiple felony counts arising from his part in of a conspiracy to invade an Ontwa Township home.

Both Goodwin and Banks were residents of Elkhart, Indiana at the time of their April 9 crimes.

The jury deliberated approximately an hour before returning their decision.

“These criminals slinked into Michigan with a particular focus – thievery,” said Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz. “That does not fly well here. They will meet a just reward for their home invasion plans.”

Fitz also praised the victims and the neighbors for their observations and prompt cooperation with law enforcement.

“It was a highly volatile situation,” Fitz said. “But the homeowner and alert citizens provided our Sheriff’s Department Ontwa Police with extremely helpful facts leading to the discovery of important evidence and the arrest of the crooks.”

Recovered evidence included a selfie photo located in an abandoned car a short distance from the victim’s home.

Trial testimony revealed that on April 9, the defendant, along with two other co-defendants, drove up from Elkhart and broke into a residence at 67438 Ashton Road in the Edwardsburg area. The homeowner testified that he saw three men leaving his house during the late morning hours, and found multiple signs of forced entry at his residence.

After notifying authorities, officers with Cass County Sheriff’s Office and Ontwa Township Police Department discovered the vehicle the suspects had fled in abandoned on Adamsville Road, before finding the suspects inside a
nearby cornfield.

On scene, Banks provided officers with a false name and denied any connection to the home invasion, claiming him and his cohorts were held up at gunpoint during a drug deal.

During the trial, Banks did not take the stand to testify and did not present any witnesses.

Metzger argued that there was no reasonable, innocent explanation for Banks and his cohorts to be at 67438 Ashton Road, saying were scared away prior by the arrival of the homeowner and the presence of his two dogs.  His lies when confronted by police contributed to the jury’s guilty verdict. The jury found Banks not guilty on a charge of second-degree home invasion.

He faces up to 15 years in prison for his convictions for the conspiracy charge, and up to five years for the attempted home invasion.

Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 15 at 8:30 a.m. in front of Cass Circuit Judge Michael Dodge.