What one former student at Southwestern Michigan College described as an off-color joke has earned him the next 24 months on probation.

Cass County District Court Judge Michael Dodge sentenced Ethan Donovan Edwards, 19, of Elkhart, to two years of probation Friday morning in county court, for a single count of attempting to manufacture an explosives device. Edwards had previously appeared before the court on April 13, where he pleaded guilty to the charge.

Edwards’ conviction stems from an incident that occurred while he was attending school at the Dowagiac community college, residing on-campus in one of the college’s dormitories. On Sept. 14 of last year, another student noticed the Elkhart man cutting up pennies. When asked what he was doing, Edwards responded that he was making shrapnel, leading the other student to believe he was in the process of constructing a bomb, Dodge said.

“I know you’ve indicated that you didn’t mean anything by it, that you were just joking,” Dodge said. “But in this day and age, that’s something that is just not appropriate or a joking manner.”

The former student had found himself in trouble for such behavior in the past, after he had called in a bomb threat at another school, the judge said.

Despite the defendant’s rationalizations, Edwards’ actions that day were highly questionable and inappropriate, said Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz. Fitz also pointed out that the defendant reads and consumes content with dark, problematic themes, which the prosecutor described as “garbage in, garbage out.”

“I know he [Edwards] says that he wants to leave Michigan permanently,” Fitz said. “There’s nothing wrong with that. But he needs to also understand that his problem is not with Michigan, it’s not with Cass County, it’s not with Dowagiac, it’s not with SMC. The problem in this instance was with he was doing. He needs to mature, and he needs to understand that his actions do have consequences.”

Edwards has displayed issues concerning his mental health in the past, which may have played a role in his behavior last fall, said the man’s defense attorney, Gregory Feldman. The Elkhart man said he is committed to receiving therapy at home in Indiana while serving his probation sentence, Feldman said.

When asked by the judge for comment on his own behalf, Edwards offered up a single word to the court.

“Sorry,” he said.

Having already sat in jail for the past 181 days awaiting sentencing, the judge imposed no further incarceration for the defendant.

“You graduated from high school; let’s see if you can’t get yourself back on track with your education,” Dodge said.

Also sentenced Friday:

• Shane Russell Dudley, to 18 months of probation for attempt to operate a lab involving methamphetamine and resisting arrest.

• Mary Elizabeth Cummins, 36, of Three Rivers, to two years of probation for receiving and concealing a motor vehicle, resisting arrest and possession of marijuana.

• Tyler Brandon Hill, 20, of Dowagiac, to 18 months of probation for possession of marijuana and cocaine.