Michigan man sentenced to prison after trying to steal 220 pounds of weed during armed robbery
SANILAC COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Flint man is headed to prison after he attempted to steal 220 pounds of marijuana from a Sanilac County home in 2017.
Justin D. Cooper, 30, was sentenced to 17 years Thursday after pleading guilty last August.
According to the Justice Department, Cooper and co-conspirators tried to break into a building on the property to steal weed and sell it. However, those attempts failed so Cooper and the others planned to rob the people who lived at the home to steal the weed.
Officials said Cooper and the co-conspirators bought supplies, including gas to get to Sanilac County and leaf bags to transport the marijuana in, from a gas station in Flint before heading to the home on Nov. 18, 2017.
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Cooper and the others put on gloves and covered their faces. Some of them had guns when they kicked in the front door of the home.
Once inside. some of the co-conspirators fired shots, hitting a resident in the leg. One of the residents fired back, hitting and killing two of the intruders.
Cooper was sentenced to seven years for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, followed by a consecutive sentence of 10 years for aiding and abetting the discharge of a firearm during the incident.
Cooper will also have four years of supervised release when he gets out of prison.
"Combating violent crime is a top priority for the Department of Justice and for our office. This deadly attempted robbery left one resident injured and two of the intruders dead, and our office is pleased that this sentence reflects our commitment to combat violent crime. I commend the efforts of our local and federal law enforcement partners in bringing those involved to justice. The U.S. Attorney’s office will work aggressively to protect the citizens of Sanilac County and across the Eastern District of Michigan", said U.S. Attorney Ison.
Two of Cooper’s co-conspirators, Paul M. Drinkwine and John C. Williams, have also pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced in February.