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Saporita-Fargo
Man who fled with daughter pleads guilty to CSC, unlawful imprisonment.
#MasonCountyNews #CourtNews
By Allison Scarbrough. Editor.
LUDINGTON — Mark Alan Saporita-Fargo, 47, pleaded guilty Friday, April 7, in separate cases of third-degree criminal sexual conduct (CSC), which involved the sexual assault of a teenage victim in 2015, and conspiracy to commit unlawful imprisonment, stemming from the January 2017 kidnapping of his 2-year-old daughter.
Jeffrey Miller with his attorney, Al Swanson, Jr. during an earlier circuit court hearing. MCP file photo
Saporita-Fargo triggered a statewide manhunt Jan. 24, 2017, when he tried to leave the state with his daughter, Hailey Hunter-Rose Fargo, the night before his scheduled trial in 51st Circuit Court for the CSC charges.
A third charge of absconding while on bond was dismissed when he pleaded guilty to the two counts of third-degree CSC and conspiracy to
Mark Alan Saporita-Fargo with his daughter, Hailey Hunter-Rose Fargo.
commit unlawful imprisonment.
The plea deal calls for Saporita-Fargo to serve 18-40 years in prison for the convictions.
Saporita-Fargo’s fourth-time habitual offender status elevates his maximum possible sentence to life in prison.
“The plea agreements provide that he pled guilty to CSC third-degree, habitual four, and conspiracy to commit unlawful imprisonment, habitual four,” stated Mason County Prosecutor Paul Spaniola. “On
Saporita-Fargo with his attorney, Douglas Stevenson. MCP file photo.
both charges, he can receive a maximum of life in prison. The plea agreements provide that he serve 18-40 years on each file served concurrently. He additionally will be assessed the costs in extraditing him from Alabama to face trial on the CSC third charge.”
Spaniola credits “excellent police work” for the safe return of young Hailey.
“We are of course relieved that Hailey Fargo was quickly found and that she was safe and healthy when she was located,” he said. “Her recovery, as well as the apprehension of Mr. (Jeffrey) Miller and Mr. Fargo, were due to the quick response and hard work of the Mason County Sheriff’s Office as well as the Michigan State Police and the Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Office.
“I would especially like to acknowledge the hard work and fine investigative work performed by Det. Shayne Eskew, Det. Mike Kenney and Det. Sgt. Tom Posma of the Mason County Sheriff’s Office as well as Trooper Art McNew, Det. Sgt. Cynthia Gochanour and Det. Sgt. David Stamler of the Michigan State Police, Jackson post. Trooper McNew was able to locate Mr. Fargo and Mr. Miller, as well as safely recover Hailey, through excellent police work on his part.”
Saporita-Fargo was on the verge of losing his parental rights. He and Hailey didn’t report back after an unsupervised visit in Muskegon County Jan. 23. They were spotted by police in Montgomery, Michigan, near the state border after residents recognized them from media reports.
They were driven about 200 miles to Hillsdale County by Jeffrey Alan Miller in his black Ford Taurus. Miller and Saporita-Fargo became friends while they were both previously incarcerated in jail.
Saporita-Fargo’s accomplice pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy to commit unlawful imprisonment. His sentencing is set for this afternoon, April 11.
Saporita-Fargo’s sentencing is set for May 30.
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