Man who allegedly assaulted uncle and harassed police is sentenced 1 to 4 years in prison for probation violation

The 40-year-old Ypsilanti man violated his probation when he allegedly assaulted his uncle at a party store last month.

Mealing blames his uncle for many of his legal problems, according to testimony.

“I’m begging you, please don’t send me to the penitentiary,” Mealing implored of Swartz.

Blake Wright, Mealing’s attorney, portrayed his client as suffering from ill mental health. He asked the judge to consider continuing probation and allowing Mealing to seek treatment.

“To sentence him to the Department of Corrections would be mentally and physically devastating,” Wright said, adding that Mealing had lost 20 pounds since being incarcerated in jail. "He’s been under a lot of stress.”

He requested that Mealing continue his probation and receive mental health treatment.

It has only been a few months since Mealing last appeared in court, as he pleaded guilty to possessing a stun gun. One condition of his two-year probation sentence was not to use social media networking sites, especially YouTube, which he used to post anti-police videos.

Another probation condition was not to have contact with Detective Kevin Parviz of the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office, who Mealing has singled out for harassment.

“He was abstaining from illegal activity until he saw his uncle,” Wright said.

Assistant Washtenew County Prosecutor Brenda Taylor made a colorful argument with colorful language to argue against the portrait painted of Mealing by the defense.

She said in the phone calls made from the Washtenaw County Jail, which are monitored and recorded, Mealing taunted Parviz by name. Taylor told the judge there are records of Mealing saying that he knew Parviz was listening in on his phone calls.

“’You hear me, Kevin? Yeah, you’re ugly,'" Taylor told the judge Mealing had said during one of his recorded phone conversations.

Taylor told the court Mealing spoke further about Parviz using language that was even more uncouth.

As far as the incident with his uncle, Taylor said Mealing was heard saying that he hit the 56-year-old Superior Township man with all his might. The incident occurred on May 30 at the A & W Party Store on East Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti Township.

“(Mealing) brags about how he put his uncle down,” Taylor said. “He called the victim a rat bastard.”

Mealing admitted to talking about Parvis and his uncle, but blamed his mental health condition.

“I did say those things, but I wasn’t taking my medication,” Mealing said. “I knew I was wrong for punching my uncle.”

In the end, Swartz sided with the prosecution.

“I saw the video,” Swartz said in regards to security camera footage from the party store. “It certainly appears the assault was unprovoked.”

For two other counts of probation violation, Mealing was sentenced 45 days time served.