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Denise Comstock with her attorney, Douglas Stevenson.
Judge denies plea agreement in credit card theft case.
#MasonCountyCourtNews
By Allison Scarbrough. Editor.
LUDINGTON — Judge Susan K. Sniegowski rejected a plea agreement in a credit card theft case Tuesday, July 18, in 51st Circuit Court, because she did not believe that the 30-day upfront jail time was a sufficient punishment.
Denise Lynn Comstock, 42, of 309 N. Washington Ave., Apt. 2, Ludington used a credit card owned by a local elderly man, making purchases for herself at Victoria’s Secret, Kentucky Fried Chicken and other businesses, said Mason County Prosecutor Paul Spaniola. Comstock also purchased airline tickets with the man’s credit card. Many unauthorized purchases were made while the man was hospitalized, he said.
Comstock’s plea agreement called for serving 30 days up front of a one-year discretionary jail term for a conviction of attempted stealing/retaining a financial transaction device without consent, the prosecutor said.
“Quite frankly, I find this situation quite disturbing,” said Sniegowski, adding that Comstock took advantage of her position of authority and “crossed the line.”
“I don’t understand why it’s 30 days,” the judge said. “I don’t accept this plea agreement. I don’t think 30 days is sufficient.”
Comstock was arrested in November of 2016 by the Mason County Sheriff’s Office.
Spaniola said Comstock has a previous criminal history of 10 misdemeanors. She previously was convicted of larceny, an offense which also victimized an elderly individual by using the person’s credit card, the prosecutor said.
Sniegowski said she would rather impose a sentence that falls within the midpoint of sentencing guidelines, which are 0-11 months.
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