![]() |
|
|
|
![]() |
|||
|
Local News PUBLISHED:
At the request of Prosecutor James Young, Judge Donald Teeple canceled Gadomiski Ôs bond and ordered him remanded to jail until his July 30 sentencing. The maximum sentence for safe breaking is life in prison while the maximum for home invasion is 15 years. However, because Gadomski is a habitual third offender, the maximum is doubled. Gadomski, 31, Croswell, and Thomas Earls of Sandusky were charged with breaking into Randy Parrents's Gates Road office and stealing a safe with $135,000 to $140,000 in cash, plus coins and personal documents on Halloween Nigh two and a half years ago. The trials were delayed while the courts decided whether to allow some evidence to be used. In February three Michigan Appeals Court judges ruled that illegal subpoenas issued by the prosecutor's office should not prevent use of the evidence in Gadomski's trial. The Michigan Supreme Court came to the same decision regarding evidence in Earls' trial, which is scheduled for July 10. "I'm very appreciative of the jurors' decision. It was circumstantial evidence, but it was strong evidence," Young said. Authorities had photos and surveillance video showing Gadomski and Earls at the Mr. Chips gas station at the time Caller ID showed a phone call to the home adjacent to Parrent's office, from the pay phone at the gas station. They also had neighbors who saw a Dodge Intrepid Ð the same type of car owned by Earls - at the Parrent farm around the time of the phone call. "There were no obstructions, it was clearly visible from his (neighbor's) home," Young said in his closing statements. The prosecution also presented statements from several witnesses that Gadomski and Earls had 20s, 50s and 100-dollar bills in red, purple and yellow wrappers the first of November. The money in the safe was in those denominations and paper wrappers. Young also said Gadomski spent around $15,000 in Michigan and Tennesse shortly after the burglary, buying a computer, clothing and used pickup truck. "It added up to $21,000 he has on this trip to his mother (in Virginia)," Young noted. Young admitted the credibility of many of his witnesses was an issue because of their criminal backgrounds, but asked the jurors to set aside their bias. "Kevin Parsons is who he is, but clearly he has no agreement with the prosecutor's office for his testimony," Young told the jury. Parsons testified that Gadomski told him about making the phone call to the farm, finding cash, handguns and social security numbers in the safe, as well as spending $2,000 a week. "The prosecutor wants you to give him the benefit of the doubt (about Parsons)," said defense attorney Dan Van Norman in his closing remarks. "(Lt. James) Wagester wrote the statement for (Parsons) because he was not spelling good that day. This is somebody who you weigh against the concept of reasonable doubt." Van Norman continued, "Carl Bagley tells you because he wants to cleanse his soul, not because he wants to get even....A convicted thief and thug ÔI just want to get it off my conscience...The prosecutor says Ôtrust him'. This is someone who just broke up with his girlfriend, this jilted guy," said Van Norman, referring to Badley's relationship with Tom Earls' daughter. Van Norman called only one witness, a private detective who testified about pacing off the half mile between the Parrent Farm and the home of the neighbor who spotted the Intrepid. Van Norman pointed out that was the length of nine football field, and wondered how witnesses could identify a car that far away and in the dark. Van Norman also picked at the fact that one witness said it was daylight when she saw the car, and that the times on the surveillance video and pictures from Mr. Chips were wrong, and no one could say how far off they were. Young maintained the times were just off because of daylight saving time. |
![]()
TOP JOBS
TOP AUTOS
TOP HOMES
TOP RENTALS
TOP MERCHANDISE
|
Not all stories are guaranteed to appear online.
The Web edition contains a reasonable sampling of the print edition stories.
For the most complete news coverage, we invite you to
subscribe to the print edition of the paper.