Men sentenced for having loaded guns outside Ypsilanti court
Terrance Fletcher
Courtesy of the WSCO
Antonio Isaiah Thomas
Courtesy of the WCSO
The two Detroit men caught with loaded handguns outside the 14A-2 District Court in Ypsilanti were sentenced in the Washtenaw County Trial Court recently.
Terrance Martez Fletcher, 24, will spend at least three years in prison for running from police after pulling a loaded .45-caliber semi-automatic out of a compartment in his motorcycle and placing it in his waistband in the court's parking lot last August.
Fletcher was sentenced Jan. 29 to concurrent terms of 1-5 years for carrying a concealed weapon and 1-2 years for resisting a police officer. He was sentenced a consecutive term for a charge of felony firearm. Judge Donald Shelton ruled Fletcher eligible for prison boot camp.
Antonio Isaiah Thomas, 22, was sentenced Feb. 5 to two years of probation and nine months of jail, though Shelton suspended the jail term as long as Thomas pays all his fines. Conditions of Thomas' probation include: complete a GED, no firearms in his home and no contact with Fletcher.
Thomas and Fletcher were in the Ypsilanti area to see a magistrate about a traffic ticket on Aug. 20.
A police officer spotted the two men next to their motorcycles in the court’s parking lot and Fletcher put the handgun into his waistband. Fletcher fled, throwing the handgun away, but was caught a short time later and placed under arrest.
Thomas also attempted to leave the area on foot, walking toward the nearby police station. Police said they confronted him and arrested him. They said they found a 9-mm semi-automatic handgun in his waistband.
On Nov. 20, Thomas pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed weapon and resisting a police officer. Fletcher pleaded guilty Dec. 3 to carrying a concealed weapon, felony firearm and resisting a police officer. Charges of carrying a weapon with unlawful intent and possession of a firearm were dismissed in both cases.
Comments
G-Man
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 2:47 p.m.
In Adrian you have to walk through a metal detector to get in, don't they have one in Ypsi? If so, the dudes thought they would stroll right in with a gun? Doesn't make sense to me...... Apparently they were not CPL holders? Just goes to show that law abiders do not have a problem, while crooks do..... Another reason NOT to pass additional gun laws that would restrict the law abiding and not matter to the crooks........
murphthesurf
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 11:58 a.m.
can u say DUMB & DUMBER !!! why were the charges of carrying a weapon with unlawful intent and possession of a firearm dismissed? it doesn't make sense to me ! these guys had loaded guns on court property for gods sake !!!!! wake up shelton!!! you should be fired!!!
ChelseaBob
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 11:56 a.m.
Let's see. Unregistered handguns, illegal concealed weapons, and then theres the question of what they were going to do with these guns in the court. This may have been a courtroom massacre that was avoided by alert law enforcement. And the answer is probation??? This is why gun control laws are useless. The laws we have now are not enforced. Lets put criminals with guns behind bars for a long time, and then we won't need any new laws.
njneere
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 5:43 a.m.
They should never own firearms again.
brian
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 3:38 a.m.
Good job YPD. Keep up the good work.
stevek
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 12:07 a.m.
There are many of ways these 2 could have avoided (or junked up the judicial process). Claim they are a victim of racial harassment. Deny it wasn't theirs--they were borrowing someones jacket/pants and didn't know it was there. Claim that they have mental health issues. These should just about explain their situation.
tommyboy
Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:19 p.m.
That is just crazy..I've received more time than that for driving on a suspended license.. Whats really going on?
Paul
Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:52 p.m.
One guy got 3 years in prison, maybe it was his guns and the other guy didn't really know he had them on him at first ?
blameyourself
Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:03 p.m.
It is you liberals that should be angry....The gun laws that are currently on the books where not adhered to in this case....No wonder we have so many murders.
sheepyd
Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 10:08 p.m.
After reading the news about a courthouse shooting in Delaware today and then reading this article I can't help but remember the lack of security the last time I went into the court in downtown Ypsilanti. There were no security/Police officers, no metal detectors and you could just walk in an out of the court room while court was in session. No wonder these guys bring guns to court, sounds like Ypsilanti doesn't care about security why should the thugs. . John Counts, it would be a fascinating article if you or another A2.com reporter looked at security at local courts, I know Washtenaw County is a liberal waste land but the security at some of the district courts is a joke.
djm12652
Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 9:38 p.m.
So...seems I'm right...never exercise...running is bad for you!...if you just walk and not run...can mean the difference in sentencing!
Enso
Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 9:22 p.m.
Where is the NRA? Why aren't they supporting this guy? The 2nd Amendment is ABSOLUTE!
Enso
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 4:50 p.m.
I don't see ANYWHERE in the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution where it says certain people can't carry guns.
OLDTIMER3
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 2:51 p.m.
They don't support criminals, just our legal wright to own them.
G-Man
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 2:49 p.m.
NRA supports the law abiders, not these law breakers........
stevek
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 12:02 a.m.
Enso--would you like all criminals to carry guns? That sounds pretty intelligent to me.
Paul
Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:50 p.m.
The NRA is picky who they like, those two are not NRA likening
Atlas Shrugged
Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 8:35 p.m.
Hold on a minute. One of these guys gets charged with, and pleads guilty to, carrying a concealed weapon (and resisting a cop) -- a semiauto pistol -- and he gets off with no jail time? This seems like an inappropriately lenient sentence to me, especially in light of all the hand-wringing about guns, and the alleged need for more and more stringent gun laws. And is the News correct in stating that one condition of probation is (simply) no firearms in his HOME is correct? Implicitly, that sounds like having a firearm OUTSIDE the home is OK (aside from other legal constraints that apply).
GoNavy
Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 8:11 p.m.
A big no-no. There are places you cannot carry a gun in this state. Not that I agree with those restrictions, but right now the law is the law.
OLDTIMER3
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 2:49 p.m.
I don't know about Ypsi courts but in Saline and A2 you can't even take a cell phone in to pay a traffic ticket. @ semperfi, at local gun shows you have to have a purchase permit on you or wait until you get one to get your firearm.
Adam Betz
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 1:57 p.m.
cinnabar7072: That's actually not correct. Michigan is an open-carry state meaning that anyone who legally posesses a firearm can carry in public and specific buildings as long as it is not concealed. A person therefore does not need a CPL to open-carry in our state.
GoNavy
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 4:29 a.m.
cinnabar - Obviously.
cinnabar7071
Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 8:43 p.m.
GoNavy you first have to have a CPL before you can carry them anyplace on your person.
jusayin
Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 8:07 p.m.
I suppose the obvious Q. is...what were their intentions once they entered the courthouse? EEEK!!
cinnabar7071
Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 8:41 p.m.
Since they didn't take them into the courthouse, I'd say court business.
antikvetch
Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 7:59 p.m.
"judged not by the color of their skin, but by the blueing of their weapon" MLK. Jr.
Enso
Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 7:48 p.m.
Another infringement on our second amendment rights.
Dog Guy
Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 7:47 p.m.
I am happy that we have effective gun-control laws.
motorcycleminer
Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 9:12 p.m.
One must assume semper fi is pulling your leg ..the chances of them being legally purchased is about the same as Ann Arbor voting republican...zip...
cinnabar7071
Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 8:24 p.m.
SemperFi is your comment based on any facts at all? I'd like to know why you think that.
SemperFi
Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 8 p.m.
They probably bought them at a gun show.
Faygo
Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 7:30 p.m.
Right across the parking lot from the police station! That's a special kind of stupid!
motorcycleminer
Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 9:15 p.m.
Most criminals are just that because their too damn dumb to do anything else ..all the smart criminals reside in D.C.
Hmm
Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 7:29 p.m.
Went to court about a misdemeanor and ended up catching felony cases. SMH