Charles Lee Turner of Dickinson County, MI pled guilty to federal gun (Luger) charge in Marquette
(Marquette, Michigan) – A Dickinson County man – with a criminal record around the Midwest stretching from distributing LSD to burglary – is jailed awaiting sentencing to prison after pleading guilty last week to federal firearms charges.
Charles Lee Turner pleaded guilty on Wed., August 6, 2014 at U.S. District Court in Marquette to a superseding indictment of felon in possession of a firearm including a Luger-style pistol similar to the leftovers of WWI and WWII.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy P. Greeley accepted the guilty plea by Martin, that is expected to be formalized by a U.S. District Court Judge.
A federal grand jury in Marquette returned the indictment in June of 2014 that states the incident happened on or about April 23, 2014 in Dickson County.
Turner claims to have “found” two handguns that he sold this past spring.
The Indictment mentions a Walther Model PPK 7.65 MM caliber semiautomatic pistol and a Mauser model S/42, 9 mm caliber, (German) Luger-type pistol.
Martin “has a criminal history in five different states,” said Asst. U.S. Attorney Maarten Vermaat.
Martin’s criminal history includes “a violent felony drug offense,” Vermaat said.
“A man called the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Department and said he bought two handguns from Mr. Turner,” Vermaat said.
Martin told authorities “he found the handguns” and was “short of cash” so he “sold” the guns in Dickinson County during April 2014, Vermaat said.
Previous Martin felony convictions include possession and distribution of LSD in Minnesota during 1988 and breaking and entering, assault, larceny unlawfully driving away an automobile (auto theft), and being a habitual offender in Delta County during 2004.
Greeley scheduled the Martin’s sentencing for 1 p.m. on Nov. 5.
At issue, is how Martin’s previous convictions will affect his time in prison – because those convictions will affect his offense level involving federal sentencing guidelines.
U.S. Assistant Public Defender Elizabeth “Beth” LaCosse, the prosecutor and judge briefly discussed ways that the point system – used to calculate proposed prison time under federal sentencing guidelines – can be calculated in several ways.
Federal judges often use the guidelines but can hand down a stronger or lesser jail sentence plus supervised release, fine and related costs.
It appears those federal guidelines could fall anywhere between 1 year and 10 to 15 years – including 15 to life. The guidelines will be included in a pre-sentence report being drawn up by the Michigan Western Probation Office Marquette Divisional Office (federal probation office).
Because Martin’s ultimate sentence will decided by a federal judge – Magistrate Judge Greeley reminded the man before accepting his plea – that he was still “presumed innocent” and was about to “give up his rights” including to a jury trial, plus will “be bound by his (guilty) plea.”
Martin cannot “withdraw his plea if a harsher or longer sentence” is handed out by a federal judge,” Judge Greeley said.
Martin entered into a nine-page plea agreement with federal prosecutors signed on August 4.
Under the agreement, the government is willing to agree to the low-end of sentencing guidelines brought forth in the pre-sentence report, Vermaat said.
Related links:
Walther Models including PPK 7.65 MM caliber semiautomatic pistol
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walther_PP
Lugers and Luger style
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luger_pistol
Federal Judge R. Allan Edgar
U.S. District Court Judge R. Allan Edgar
U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan
www.miwd.uscourts.gov/content/judge-r-allan-edgar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Allan_Edgar
www.fjc.gov/servlet/nGetInfo?jid=686&cid=999&ctype=na&instate=na
www.judicialwatch.org/document-archive/allan-r-edgar-financial-disclosure-report-for-2003
www.hamiltoncountyherald.com/Story.aspx?id=1210&date=4%2F16%2F2010
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy P. Greeley
www.nmu.edu/criminaljustice/node/75
http://abc10up.com/greeley-reappointed-u-s-magistrate-judge
www.nmu.edu/criminaljustice/node/135
www.miwd.uscourts.gov/content/magistrate-judge-timothy-p-greeley
www.historyforsale.com/html/prodetails.asp?documentid=175357&start=1&page=92
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Federal Public Defenders aka Federal Defense Attorneys
U.S. Assistant Public Defender Elizabeth “Beth” LaCosse (formerly Elizabeth Paczesny)
Marquette Branch of the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Western District of Michigan – in the Upper Peninsula (U.P.).
Former:
Lac Vieux Desert tribal attorney
Private practice attorney
Ontonagon County Prosecutor
Marquette County Assistant Prosecutor
Delta County Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney
www.barstow-lacosse.com/attorneys.html
www.lacosselaw.com/index1.html
http://milawyersweekly.com/milwblog/2013/08/05/milws-2013-women-in-the-law-honorees-announced/
Just Retired: Paul Peterson, the Assistant Federal Public Defender working out of the Marquette Branch of the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Western District of Michigan
He was the first federal public defender in the Upper Peninsula, previously the cases were handed by a variety of attorneys on a list.
www.westmichigandefender.org/defenderContact/Paul_Peterson_Assistant_Federal_Public_Defender.php
U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan
www.miwd.uscourts.gov/content/marquette
http://judgepedia.org/Federal_Vacancy_Warning_System
U.S. Sentencing Guidelines aka federal sentencing guidelines
www.ussc.gov/guidelines-manual/amendments-guidelines-manual
www.ussc.gov/guidelines-manual/guidelines-manual
www.ussc.gov/guidelines-manual/2013-ussc-guidelines-manual
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Federal_Sentencing_Guidelines
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Sentencing_Commission
U.S. Probation office aka federal probation office
Rebecca A. Howell, Chief U.S. Probation Officer
101 Federal Building
110 Michigan Ave., NW
Grand Rapids, MI
49503
616-456-2384 (office)
616-456-2223 (fax)
Michigan Western Probation Office
Marquette Divisional Office
100 N. Front St., Ste. 202
PO Box 906
Marquette, MI
49855
906-228-7432 (office)
906-228-5514 (fax)
www.justia.com/us-states/michigan/courts/western/probation/marquette-divisional-office.html
www.uscourts.gov/FederalCourts/ProbationPretrialServices.aspx
www.justia.com/us-states/michigan/courts/western/probation/main-office.html
www.uscourts.gov/FederalCourts/ProbationPretrialServices/Officers.aspx
www.michigan.gov/corrections/0,4551,7-119-1435_1503—,00.html
www.justia.com/us-states/michigan/courts/western/probation/kalamazoo-divisional-office.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Probation_and_Pretrial_Services_System
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Bureau_of_Prisons
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_crime
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_district_court
Federal Prosecutors:
United States Department of Justice
www.justice.gov/briefing-room.html
www.justice.gov/about/about.html
Federal Prosecutors serve the people of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and investigate felonies that occur in northern Michigan Native American tribal properties/reservations (each a sovereign nation)
Western District of Michigan for the Attorney General of the United States
www.justice.gov/usao/miw/index.html
U.S. Attorney General of the United States for the Western District of Michigan
Grand Rapids, MI
(616) 456-2404 (main)
U.S. Attorneys Office aka Federal Prosecutors Marquette office
(906) 226-2500
Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Bobee
She is Native American and and an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
www.rosettelaw.com/attorney-bio-bobee.html
www.justice.gov/dea/divisions/det/2013/det061913.shtml
Assistant United States Attorney Maarten Vermaat
Western District of Michigan
www.justice.gov/usao/miw/news/2012/2012_0525_VProtasoff.html
www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2010/07/12/attorney-actor-john-stamos-fling-year-old-student
http://abc10up.com/greeley-reappointed-u-s-magistrate-judge
Assistant United States Attorney Paul D. Lochner
Western District of Michigan
www.justice.gov/tax/usaopress/2005/txdv05RBeauchamp03102005.html
www.justice.gov/usao/miw//news/2014/2014_0326_BHase.html
www.justice.gov/usao/miw//news/2014/2014_0307_JKoster_etal.html
Dickinson County federal and state court (often nonpublished) cases
http://law.justia.com/lawsearch?query=Dickinson%20County.%20Michigan
Highway designations:
Leif Erikson Highway
http://law.justia.com/codes/michigan/2014/chapter-250/statute-act-142-of-2001/section-250.1009
Oscar G. Johnson Memorial Highway
http://law.justia.com/codes/michigan/2014/chapter-250/statute-act-142-of-2001/section-250.1072
Veterans Memorial Bridge
http://law.justia.com/codes/michigan/2014/chapter-250/statute-act-142-of-2001/section-250.1073
Much More
http://law.justia.com/cases/michigan/supreme-court/1956/347-mich-91-2.html
http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/michigan/miwdce/2:2007cv00205/54256/36
http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/michigan/miwdce/2:2009cv00123/59451/10
http://law.justia.com/cases/michigan/supreme-court/1961/363-mich-428-2.html
http://law.justia.com/cases/wisconsin/court-of-appeals/2012/2010ap002989.html
http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/MI/DI-officials.html
Upper Peninsula Breaking News by Greg Peterson 