By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor
LUDINGTON — A 30-year-old man was sentenced to prison in Mason County’s 51st Circuit Court Tuesday, May 5, in three criminal files.
Nead
Austin Michael Nead was sentenced by Judge Susan K. Sniegowski to a prison term of two to 15 years with credit for 146 days served in jail for convictions of tampering with an electronic monitoring device (tether) and fourth-offense habitual offender. In a second file, Nead received a sentence of two to 20 years with credit for 150 days served for a conviction of methamphetamine possession and fourth-offense habitual offender. In a third file, he was sentenced to two years in prison with 412 days credit for probation violation.
Nead pleaded guilty to the charges Feb. 24, according to court records.
His probation stems from a Feb. 11, 2025 three-count conviction of assaulting/resisting/obstructing police, one misdemeanor count of assault and battery and second-offense habitual offender, according to his court file.
All three sentences run concurrently.
One count of failure to register as a sex offender was dismissed in a separate case.
Nead was previously convicted of a high-court misdemeanor of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct in Oceana County in 2017 and was sentenced to a prison term of one year and four months to two years for violating his probation in that case.
He also has a previous felony conviction of breaking and entering and building in Newaygo County, Michigan Department of Corrections records state.
He was ordered to pay $198 in fines and costs in two of his criminal files and $771 in the probation violation case.
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