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NILES — A Stevensville man who robbed JD’s Truck Stop last December was sentenced to probation and jail Monday in Berrien County Trial Court.

Todd Forker, Jr., 30, of Stevensville, pleaded guilty to unarmed robbery and was sentenced to three years probation, 365 days in jail with credit for 153 days already served, $469 in restitution and $658 in fines and costs. He was ordered to complete the Tri-Cap or similar inpatient program and can serve the rest of his jail sentence there.

The incident occurred in the early morning hours of Dec. 21 at JD’s Truck Stop off of U.S. 12 in Bertrand Township.

Forker’s co-defendant, Gina Stevens, 50, of Stevensville, did not go into the building but drove the getaway car. She was sentenced last week for unarmed robbery and was sentenced to two years probation, credit for three days served, 100 hours of community service, $678 in fines and costs and $469.64 restitution.

Defense attorney Amy McDowell said Forker was not the mastermind in the incident as had been portrayed by Stephens and her attorney. “They were both equally involved,” she said. “Ms. Stephens said my client got her involved with heroin and that’s not true. She was already addicted to opiates and got her heroin from my client’s father.”

McDowell called it a “perfect storm of addiction”. “It was not one person corrupting the other,” she said. “He and Ms. Stephens need to stay away from each other … This was very uncharacteristic for him, his voice was cracking when he demanded the money, he did not want to do it.”

Judge Hosbein agreed that Forker and Stephens need to stay away from each other. “Everybody understands that this was a crime of opportunity,” he said. “They robbed the store to get money to buy drugs. They have to address the underlying issues of drug and mental health treatment.”