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NILES — A July 16 start date has been set for the trial of a Berrien Springs man accused in a series of central Berrien County robberies last year after he turned down a plea offer Monday.

Edward Deontae Turner, 39, faces 13 felony counts including four counts of armed robbery, four counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, four counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and one count of receiving, concealing or possession of a stolen weapon. If convicted, he would also face a charge of being a habitual offender.

A final status conference in the case was held Monday at which time Turner turned down the plea offer made by the prosecutor’s office. The status conference had been delayed from last week to give him more time to consider the offer.

      Berrien County Trial Court Judge Gordon Hosbein reminded Turner Monday that this was his last opportunity to accept the plea offer. The plea offer would have had him plead guilty to six counts and not face the habitual offender additional count.

      Assistant Prosecutor Myrene Koch said the offer was of a guideline range of 171 to 285 months. If convicted at trial of all the counts, he faces a guideline range of 225 months to 750 months up to life in prison with an additional two year prison term for the felony firearm charges.

      The incidents occurred between June 25 and Nov. 14. The June 25 armed robbery was at the Dollar General in Oronoko Township, the Sept. 6 incident at the Dollar General in Royalton Township, the Oct. 10 incident at the Dollar General in Benton Township and the Nov. 14 incident at the BP gas station in Oronoko Township.

     During a preliminary hearing last year, employees of the different stores each described the robber as wearing a mask and brandishing a gun. They were each threatened with being shot and told to get money out of cash registers and safes. The robber took the money and ran out of the stores.

      The police report on the incidents described the suspect, his weapon, the vehicle he was driving and a gray backpack he had in the Sept. 6 and Oct. 10 incidents. The description of a vehicle in the Oct. 10 incident led police to find the vehicle and place a GPS tracker on it.

      Turner was arrested after the Nov. 14 incident on M-139 near Red Bud Trail. A search of his residence found a gun, disposable gloves and a bank bag stolen from the BP gas station. A search of his vehicle uncovered the gray backpack.