The Niles Star

Teen sentenced on 6 firearm charges

By AARON MUELLER
Niles Daily Star

CASSOPOLIS – An incident involving one gun resulted in six felony firearm convictions and a laundry list of other felonies for a Dowagiac teen.

Steven Alexander, 19, faced his sentencing on Friday at Cass County Circuit court on convictions of attempting at disarming an officer; malicious destruction of property over $1,000, possession of a firearm by a felon; carrying a concealed weapon; resisting and obstructing an officer causing injury; felonious assault with a dangerous weapon; interfering with electronic communications; in addition to the six felony firearm counts.
Judge Michael Dodge handed Alexander a 19- to 60-month prison term and a consecutive two-year prison sentence for the felony firearm counts. The sentence came as part of a plea bargain to avoid a trial.

The convictions stem from an incident on March 31 when Alexander went to the home of Tracy Bashore on Dutch Settlement Road in Dowagiac looking for her son, whom Alexander claimed owed him money for a drug deal.

Alexander threatened Bashore with a gun and before leaving the home shot two bullet holes in a vehicle at the residence. An undercover police officer then located Alexander at Eagle Trace Apartments in Dowagiac and attempted to detain him.

The teen resisted the officer, “hitting him, battling with him and trying to take his firearm,” according to Dodge. Alexander also interfered with the officer when he tried to call for backup on his cell phone.

Prosecutor Victor Fitz said the teen “has earned his ticket to prison.”

Fitz also called him “cowardly” for “hiding behind a gun.”

Defense attorney Lawrence Quigley said Alexander has been diagnosed as suicidal and clinically depressed and was not on his medications at the time of the incident because he could not afford the prescriptions.

“He has a long life ahead of him and a hope to turn his life around,” Quigley said.

Dodge also ordered Alexander pay $500 in restitution to the victim.