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Buck
By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor
LUDINGTON — A jury found a 34-year-old man guilty of first-degree home invasion following a trial Wednesday and Thursday, July 22 and 23, in Mason County’s 51st Circuit Court.
Garrett Scott Buck, who is a fourth-offense habitual offender, is scheduled for sentencing, Sept. 29.
Deliberations lasted less than two hours, said Mason County Prosecuting Attorney Beth Hand.
“The defendant, who had pending criminal charges at the time of the offense, had been told by his family member that he could not stay at his house for a couple of reasons, one of which was minor children living in the home,” said Prosecutor Hand. “After being told he could not stay with the family member, the following day the defendant returned to the house and broke in through a locked pedestrian garage door. Before leaving, he stole a pair of boots from the home. After approximately two hours of looking for the suspect/defendant, law enforcement found him wearing the stolen boots.”
According to court records, the date of the offense was Jan. 12, 2026.
“The defendant took the stand and claimed he was just borrowing the victim’s boots because his boots were wet and that he planned to return them,” said Hand. “The boots he was wearing upon entry into the house were located in a corner in the basement.”
“The family dynamics of this case made it challenging,” said the prosecutor. “The victim testified to his love for the defendant but also explained the need to prohibit his children from exposure to certain elements. The victim indicated he has always been willing and would have been willing the day of the incident to help the defendant, had he only asked. Instead, the defendant took matters into his own hands, resulting in criminal charges.”
Buck is incarcerated in the Mason County Jail awaiting trial on a charge of assault on a corrections officer.
“The defendant has the presumption of innocence on the pending charge and to date it is an allegation only,” said Prosecutor Hand.
The offense date in the corrections officer assault case is May 1, 2026.
Buck was sentenced to serve five months of a one-year discretionary jail term in 51st Circuit Court Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015 for a two-count conviction of assaulting/resisting/obstructing police.
He was sentenced to one day in jail with credit for one day served and two years probation for a conviction of assault with a dangerous weapon/felonious assault, Dec. 13, 2022. He was sentenced to 15 days in jail for probation violation, Aug. 27, 2024, according to court records.
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